hunger 
games 
parti 
the tributes 
 
when i wake up the other side of the bed is cold my 
fingers stretch out seeking prims warmth but finding 
only the rough canvas cover of the mattress she 
must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our 
mother of course she did this is the day of the 
reaping 
i prop myself up on one elbow theres enough light in 
the bedroom to see them my little sister prim curled 
up on her side cocooned in my mothers body their 
cheeks pressed together in sleep my mother looks 
younger still worn but not so beatendown prims 
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 
sitting at prims knees guarding her is the worlds 
ugliest cat mashedin nose half of one ear missing 
eyes the color of rotting squash prim named him 
buttercup insisting that his muddy yellow coat 
matched the bright flower i le hates me or at least 
distrusts me even though it was years ago i think he 
still remembers how i tried to drown him in a bucket 
when prim brought him home scrawny kitten belly 
swollen with worms crawling with fleas the last 
thing i needed was another mouth to feed but prim 
begged so hard cried even i had to let him stay it 
turned out okay my mother got rid of the vermin and 
hes a born mouser even catches the occasional rat 
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 
 
i swing my legs off the bed and slide into my hunting 
boots supple leather that has molded to my feet i 
pull on trousers a shirt tuck my long dark braid up 
into a cap and grab my forage bag on the table 
under a wooden bowl to protect it from hungry rats 
and cats alike sits a perfect little goat cheese 
wrapped in basil leaves prims gift to me on reaping 
day i put the cheese carefully in my pocket as i slip 
outside 
our part of district 12 nicknamed the seam is 
usually crawling with coal miners heading out to the 
morning shift at this hour men and women with 
hunched shoulders swollen knuckles many who 
have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust 
out of their broken nails the lines of their sunken 
faces but today the black cinder streets are empty 
shutters on the squat gray houses are closed the 
reaping isnt until two may as well sleep in if you 
can 
our house is almost at the edge of the seam i only 
have to pass a few gates to reach the scruffy field 
called the meadow separating the meadow from the 
woods in fact enclosing all of district 12 is a high 
chainlink fence topped with barbedwire loops in 
theory its supposed to be electrified twentyfour 
hours a day as a deterrent to the predators that live 
in the woods — packs of wild dogs lone cougars 
bears — that used to threaten our streets but since 
were lucky to get two or three hours of electricity in 
the evenings its usually safe to touch even so i 
always take a moment to listen carefully for the hum 
that means the fence is live right now its silent as a 
stone concealed by a clump of bushes i flatten out 
on my belly and slide under a twofoot stretch thats 
been loose for years there are several other weak 
spots in the fence but this one is so close to home i 
almost always enter the woods here 
 
as soon as im in the trees i retrieve a bow and 
sheath of arrows from a hollow log electrified or not 
the fence has been successful at keeping the flesh 
eaters out of district 12 inside the woods they roam 
freely and there are added concerns like venomous 
snakes rabid animals and no real paths to follow 
but theres also food if you know how to find it my 
father knew and he taught me some before he was 
blown to bits in a mine explosion there was nothing 
even to bury i was eleven then five years later i still 
wake up screaming for him to run 
even though trespassing in the woods is illegal and 
poaching carries the severest of penalties more 
people would risk it if they had weapons but most 
are not bold enough to venture out with just a knife 
my bow is a rarity crafted by my father along with a 
few others that i keep well hidden in the woods 
carefully wrapped in waterproof covers my father 
could have made good money selling them but if the 
officials found out he would have been publicly 
executed for inciting a rebellion most of the 
peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who 
hunt because theyre as hungry for fresh meat as 
anybody is in fact theyre among our best 
customers but the idea that someone might be 
arming the seam would never have been allowed 
in the fall a few brave souls sneak into the woods to 
harvest apples but always in sight of the meadow 
always close enough to run back to the safety of 
district 12 if trouble arises district twelve where 
you can starve to death in safety i mutter then i 
glance quickly over my shoulder even here even in 
the middle of nowhere you worry someone might 
overhear you 
when i was younger i scared my mother to death 
the things i would blurt out about district 12 about 
 
the people who rule our country panem from the far 
off city called the capitol eventually i understood 
this would only lead us to more trouble 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 do my work quietly in school make only 
polite small talk in the public market discuss little 
more than trades in the hob which is the black 
market where i make most of my money even at 
home where i am less pleasant i avoid discussing 
tricky topics like the reaping or food shortages or 
the hunger games prim might begin to repeat my 
words and then where would we be 
in the woods waits the only person with whom i can 
be myself gale i can feel the muscles in my face 
relaxing my pace quickening as i climb the hills to 
our place a rock ledge overlooking a valley a thicket 
of berry bushes protects it from unwanted eyes the 
sight of him waiting there brings on a smile gale 
says i never smile except in the woods 
hey catnip says gale my real name is katniss 
but when i first told him i had barely whispered it 
so he thought id said catnip then when this crazy 
lynx started following me around the woods looking 
for handouts it became his official nickname for me i 
finally had to kill the lynx because he scared off 
game i almost regretted it because he wasnt bad 
company but i got a decent price for his pelt 
look what i shot gale holds up a loaf of bread with 
an arrow stuck in it and i laugh its real bakery 
bread not the flat dense loaves we make from our 
grain rations i take it in my hands pull out the 
arrow and hold the puncture in the crust to my nose 
inhaling the fragrance that makes my mouth flood 
with saliva fine bread like this is for special 
occasions 
 
mm still warm i say he must have been at the 
bakery at the crack of dawn to trade for it what did 
it cost you 
just a squirrel think the old man was feeling 
sentimental this morning says gale even wished 
me luck 
well we all feel a little closer today dont we i say 
not even bothering to roll my eyes prim left us a 
cheese i pull it out 
his expression brightens at the treat thank you 
prim well have a real feast suddenly he falls into a 
capitol accent as he mimics effie trinket the 
maniacally upbeat woman who arrives once a year to 
read out the names at the leaping i almost forgot 
happy hunger games he plucks a few blackberries 
from the bushes around us and may the odds —  
he tosses a berry in a high arc toward me 
i catch it in my mouth and break the delicate skin 
with my teeth the sweet tartness explodes across my 
tongue  — be ever in your favor i finish with equal 
verve we have to joke about it because the 
alternative is to be scared out of your wits besides 
the capitol accent is so affected almost anything 
sounds funny in it 
i watch as gale pulls out his knife and slices the 
bread he could be my brother straight black hair 
olive skin we even have the same gray eyes but were 
not related at least not closely most of the families 
who work the mines resemble one another this way 
thats why my mother and prim with their light hair 
and blue eyes always look out of place they are my 
mothers parents were part of the small merchant 
class that caters to officials peacekeepers and the 
 
occasional seam customer they ran an apothecary 
shop in the nicer part of district 12 since almost no 
one can afford doctors apothecaries are our healers 
my father got to know my mother because on his 
hunts he would sometimes collect medicinal herbs 
and sell them to her shop to be brewed into remedies 
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 fathers sake but to be honest im not the 
forgiving type 
gale spreads the bread slices with the soft goat 
cheese carefully placing a basil leaf on each while i 
strip the bushes of their berries we settle back in a 
nook in the rocks from this place we are invisible 
but have a clear view of the valley which is teeming 
with summer life greens to gather roots to dig fish 
iridescent in the sunlight the day is glorious with a 
blue sky and soft breeze the foods wonderful with 
the cheese seeping into the warm bread and the 
berries bursting in our mouths everything would be 
perfect if this really was a holiday if all the day off 
meant was roaming the mountains with gale 
hunting for tonights supper but instead we have to 
be standing in the square at two oclock waiting for 
the names to be called out 
we could do it you know gale says quietly 
what i ask 
leave the district run off live in the woods you 
and i we could make it says gale 
i dont know how to respond the idea is so 
preposterous 
 
if we didnt have so many kids he adds quickly 
theyre not our kids of course but they might as well 
be gales two little brothers and a sister prim and 
you may as well throw in our mothers too because 
how would they live without us who would fill those 
mouths that are always asking for more with both of 
us hunting daily there are still nights when game has 
to be swapped for lard or shoelaces or wool still 
nights when we go to bed with our stomachs 
growling 
i never want to have kids i say 
i might if i didnt live here says gale 
but you do i say irritated 
forget it he snaps back 
the conversation feels all wrong leave how could i 
leave prim who is the only person in the world im 
certain i love and gale is devoted to his family we 
cant leave so why bother talking about it and even 
if we did    even if we did    where did this stuff 
about having kids come from theres never been 
anything romantic between gale and me when we 
met i was a skinny twelveyearold and although he 
was only two years older he already looked like a 
man it took a long time for us to even become 
friends to stop haggling over every trade and begin 
helping each other out 
besides if he wants kids gale wont have any trouble 
finding a wife hes goodlooking hes strong enough 
to handle the work in the mines and he can hunt 
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 
what do you want to do i ask we can hunt fish 
or gather 
lets fish at the lake we can leave our poles and 
gather in the woods get something nice for tonight 
he says 
tonight after the reaping everyone is supposed to 
celebrate and 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 
we make out well the predators ignore us on a day 
when easier tastier prey abounds by late morning 
we have a dozen fish a bag of greens and best of all 
a gallon of strawberries i found the patch a few years 
ago but gale had the idea to string mesh nets around 
it to keep out the animals 
on the way home we swing by the hob the black 
market that operates in an abandoned warehouse 
that once held coal when they came up with a more 
efficient system that transported the coal directly 
from the mines to the trains the hob gradually took 
over the space most businesses are closed by this 
time on reaping day but the black markets still fairly 
busy we easily trade six of the fish for good bread 
the other two for salt greasy sae the bony old 
woman who sells bowls of hot soup from a large 
kettle takes half the greens off our hands in 
exchange for a couple of chunks of paraffin we might 
do a tad better elsewhere but we make an effort to 
keep on good terms with greasy sae shes the only 
one who can consistently be counted on to buy wild 
 
dog we dont hunt them on purpose but if youre 
attacked and you take out a dog or two well meat is 
meat once its in the soup 111 call it beef greasy 
sae says with a wink no one in the seam would turn 
up their nose at a good leg of wild dog but the 
peacekeepers who come to the hob can afford to be a 
little choosier 
when we finish our business at the market we go to 
the back door of the mayors house to sell half the 
strawberries knowing he has a particular fondness 
for them and can afford our price the mayors 
daughter madge opens the door shes in my year at 
school being the mayors daughter youd expect her 
to be a snob but shes all right she just keeps to 
herself like me since neither of us really has a 
group of friends we seem to end up together a lot at 
school eating lunch sitting next to each other at 
assemblies partnering for sports activities we rarely 
talk which suits us both just fine 
today her drab school outfit has been replaced by an 
expensive white dress and her blonde hair is done up 
with a pink ribbon reaping clothes 
pretty dress says gale 
madge shoots him a look trying to see if its a 
genuine compliment or if hes just being ironic itisa 
pretty dress but she would never be wearing it 
ordinarily she presses her lips together and then 
smiles well if i end up going to the capitol i want 
to look nice dont i 
now its gales turn to be confused does she mean 
it or is she messing with him im guessing the 
second 
 
you wont be going to the capitol says gale coolly 
his eyes land on a small circular pin that adorns her 
dress real gold beautifully crafted it could keep a 
family in bread for months what can you have five 
entries i had six when i was just twelve years old 
thats not her fault i say 
no its no ones fault just the way it is says gale 
madges face has become closed off she puts the 
money for the berries in my hand good luck 
katniss you too i say and the door closes 
we walk toward the seam in silence i dont like that 
gale took a dig at madge but hes right of course 
the reaping system is unfair with the poor getting 
the worst of it you become eligible for the reaping the 
day you turn twelve that year your name is entered 
once at thirteen twice and so on and so on until 
you reach the age of eighteen the final year of 
eligibility when your name goes into the pool seven 
times thats true for every citizen in all twelve 
districts in the entire country of panem 
but heres the catch say you are poor and starving 
as we were you can opt to add your name more times 
in exchange for tesserae each tessera is worth a 
meager years supply of grain and oil for one person 
you may do this for each of your family members as 
well so at the age of twelve i had my name entered 
four times once because i had to and three times 
for tesserae for grain and oil for myself prim and my 
mother in fact every year i have needed to do this 
and the entries are cumulative so now at the age of 
sixteen my name will be in the reaping twenty times 
gale who is eighteen and has been either helping or 
singlehandedly feeding a family of five for seven 
years will have his name in fortytwo times 
 
you can see why someone like madge who has never 
been at risk of needing a tessera can set him off the 
chance of her name being drawn is very slim 
compared to those of us who live in the seam not 
impossible but slim and even though the rules were 
set up by the capitol not the districts certainly not 
madges family its hard not to resent those who dont 
have to sign up for tesserae 
gale knows his anger at madge is misdirected on 
other days deep in the woods ive listened to him 
rant about how the tesserae are just 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 its to the 
capitols advantage to have us divided among 
ourselves he might say if there were no ears to hear 
but mine if it wasnt reaping day if a girl with a gold 
pin and no tesserae had not made what im sure she 
thought was a harmless comment 
as we walk i glance over at gales face still 
smoldering underneath his stony expression his 
rages seem pointless to me although i never say so 
its not that i dont agree with him i do but what 
good is yelling about the capitol in the middle of the 
woods it doesnt change anything it doesnt make 
things fair it doesnt fill our stomachs in fact it 
scares off the nearby game i let him yell though 
better he does it in the woods than in the district 
gale and i divide our spoils leaving two fish a couple 
of loaves of good bread greens a quart of 
strawberries salt paraffin and a bit of money for 
each 
see you in the square i say 
 
wear something pretty he says flatly 
at home i find my mother and sister are ready to go 
my mother wears a fine dress from her apothecary 
days prim is in my first reaping outfit a skirt and 
ruffled blouse its a bit big on her but my mother 
has made it stay with pins even so shes having 
trouble keeping the blouse tucked in at the back 
a tub of warm water waits for me i scrub off the dirt 
and sweat from the woods and even wash my hair to 
my surprise my mother has laid out one of her own 
lovely dresses for me a soft blue thing with matching 
shoes 
are you sure i ask im trying to get past rejecting 
offers of help from her for a while i was so angry i 
wouldnt allow her to do anything for me and this is 
something special her clothes from her past are very 
precious to her 
of course lets put your hair up too she says i let 
her toweldry it and braid it up on my head i can 
hardly recognize myself in the cracked mirror that 
leans against the wall 
you look beautiful says prim in a hushed voice 
and nothing like myself i say i hug her because i 
know these next few hours will be terrible for her her 
first reaping shes about as safe as you can get since 
shes only entered once i wouldnt let her take out 
any tesserae but shes worried about me that the 
unthinkable might happen 
i protect prim in every way i can but im powerless 
against the reaping the anguish i always feel when 
shes in pain wells up in my chest and threatens to 
register on my ace 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 gives me a smallquack 
quack yourself i say with a light laugh the kind 
only prim can draw out of me come on lets eat i 
say and plant a quick kiss on the top of her head 
the fish and greens are already cooking in a stew but 
that will be for supper we decide to save the 
strawberries and bakery bread for this evenings meal 
to make it special we say instead we drink milk from 
prims goat lady and eat the rough bread made from 
the tessera grain although no one has much appetite 
anyway 
at one oclock we head for the square attendance is 
mandatory unless you are on deaths door this 
evening officials will come around and check to see if 
this is the case if not youll be imprisoned 
its too bad really that they hold the reaping in the 
square — one of the few places in district 12 that can 
be pleasant the squares surrounded by shops and 
on public market days especially if theres good 
weather it has a holiday feel to it but today despite 
the bright banners hanging on the buildings theres 
an air of grimness the camera crews perched like 
buzzards on rooftops only add to the effect 
people file in silently and sign in the reaping is a 
good opportunity for the capitol to keep tabs on the 
population as well twelve through eighteenyear 
olds are herded into roped areas marked off by ages 
the oldest in the front the young ones like prim 
toward the back family members line up around the 
perimeter holding tightly to one anothers hands but 
 
there are others too who have no one they love at 
stake or who no longer care who slip among the 
crowd taking bets on the two kids whose names will 
be drawn odds are given on their ages whether 
theyre seam or merchant if they will break down and 
weep most refuse dealing with the racketeers but 
carefully carefully these same people tend to be 
informers and who hasnt broken the law i could be 
shot on a daily basis for hunting but the appetites of 
those in charge protect me not everyone can claim 
the same 
anyway gale and i agree that if we have to choose 
between dying of hunger and a bullet in the head the 
bullet would be much quicker 
the space gets tighter more claustrophobic as people 
arrive the squares quite large but not enough to 
hold district 12s population of about eight thousand 
latecomers are directed to the adjacent streets where 
they can watch the event on screens as its televised 
live by the state 
i find myself standing in a clump of sixteens from the 
seam we all exchange terse nods then focus our 
attention on the temporary stage that is set up before 
the justice building it holds three chairs a podium 
and two large glass balls one for the boys and one for 
the girls i stare at the paper slips in the girls ball 
twenty of them have katniss everdeen written on 
them in careful handwriting 
two of the three chairs fill with madges father mayor 
undersee whos a tall balding man and effie 
trinket district 12s escort fresh from the capitol 
with her scary white grin pinkish hair and spring 
green suit they murmur to each other and then look 
with concern at the empty seat 
 
just as the town clock strikes two the mayor steps 
up to the podium and begins to read its the same 
story every year he tells of the history of panem the 
country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that 
was once called north america he lists the disasters 
the droughts the storms the fires the encroaching 
seas that swallowed up so much of the land the 
brutal war for what little sustenance remained the 
result was panem a shining capitol ringed by 
thirteen districts which brought peace and prosperity 
to its citizens then came the dark days the uprising 
of the districts against the capitol twelve were 
defeated the thirteenth obliterated the treaty of 
treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace 
and as our yearly reminder that the dark days must 
never be repeated it gave us the hunger games 
the rules of the hunger games are simple in 
punishment for the uprising each of the twelve 
districts must provide one girl and one boy called 
tributes to participate the twentyfour tributes will 
be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold 
anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland 
over a period of several weeks the competitors must 
fight to the death the last tribute standing wins 
taking the kids from our districts forcing them to kill 
one another while we watch — this is the capitols 
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 theres nothing you can do if you lift a 
finger we will destroy every last one of you just as 
we did in district thirteen 
 
to make it humiliating as well as torturous the 
capitol requires us to treat the hunger games as a 
festivity a sporting event pitting every district against 
the others the last tribute alive receives a life of ease 
back home and their district will be showered with 
prizes largely consisting of food all year the capitol 
will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil 
and even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us 
battle starvation 
it is both a time for repentance and a time for 
thanks intones the mayor 
then he reads the list of past district 12 victors in 
seventyfour years we have had exactly two only one 
is still alive haymitch abernathy a paunchy middle 
aged man who at this moment appears hollering 
something unintelligible staggers onto the stage and 
falls into the third chair hes drunk very the crowd 
responds with its token applause but hes confused 
and tries to give effie trinket a big hug which she 
barely manages to fend off 
the mayor looks distressed since all of this is being 
televised right now district 12 is the laughingstock of 
panem and he knows it he quickly tries to pull the 
attention back to the reaping by introducing effie 
trinket 
bright and bubbly as ever effie trinket trots to the 
podium and gives her signature happy hunger 
games and may the odds be ever in your favor her 
pink hair must be a wig because her curls have 
shifted slightly offcenter since her encounter with 
haymitch she goes on a bit about what an honor it is 
to be here although everyone knows shes just aching 
to get bumped up to a better district where they have 
proper victors not drunks who molest you in front of 
the entire nation 
 
through the crowd i spot gale looking back at me 
with a ghost of a smile as reapings go this one at 
least has a slight entertainment factor but suddenly i 
am thinking of gale and his fortytwo names in that 
big glass ball and how the odds are not in his favor 
not compared to a lot of the boys and maybe hes 
thinking the same thing about me because his face 
darkens and he turns away but there are still 
thousands of slips i wish i could whisper to him 
its time for the drawing effie trinket says as she 
always does ladies firstand crosses to the glass 
ball with the girls names 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 im feeling nauseous and so 
desperately hoping that its not me that its not me 
that its not me 
effie trinket crosses back to the podium smoothes 
the slip of paper and reads out the name in a clear 
voice and its not me 
its primrose everdeen 
 
one time when i was in a blind in a tree waiting 
motionless for game to wander by i dozed off and fell 
ten feet to the ground landing on my back it was as 
if the impact had knocked every wisp of air from my 
lungs and i lay there struggling to inhale to exhale 
to do anything 
thats how i feel now trying to remember how to 
breathe unable to speak totally stunned as the name 
bounces around the inside of my skull someone is 
gripping my arm a boy from the seam and i think 
maybe i started to fall and he caught me 
there must have been some mistake this cant be 
happening prim was one slip of paper in thousands 
her chances of being chosen so remote that id not 
even bothered to worry about her hadnt i done 
everything taken the tesserae refused to let her do 
the same one slip one slip in thousands the odds 
had been entirely in her favor but it hadnt mattered 
somewhere far away i can hear the crowd 
murmuring unhappily as they always do when a 
twelveyearold gets chosen because no one thinks 
this is fair and then i see her the blood drained from 
her face hands clenched in fists at her sides walking 
with stiff small steps up toward the stage passing 
me and i see the back of her blouse has become 
untucked and hangs out over her skirt its this 
detail the untucked blouse forming a ducktail that 
brings me back to myself 
prim the strangled cry comes out of my throat and 
my muscles begin to move again prim i dont need 
 
to shove through the crowd the other kids make way 
immediately allowing me a straight path to the stage 
i reach her just as she is about to mount the steps 
with one sweep of my arm i push her behind me 
i volunteer i gasp i volunteer as tribute 
theres some confusion on the stage district 12 
hasnt had a volunteer in decades and the protocol 
has become rusty the rule is that once a tributes 
name has been pulled from the ball another eligible 
boy if a boys name has been read or girl if a girls 
name has been read can step forward to take his or 
her place in some districts in which winning the 
reaping is such a great honor people are eager to risk 
their lives the volunteering is complicated but in 
district 12 where the wordtribute is pretty much 
synonymous with the word corpse volunteers are all 
but extinct 
lovely says effie trinket but i believe theres a 
small matter of introducing the reaping winner and 
then asking for volunteers and if one does come forth 
then we um  she trails off unsure herself 
what does it matter says the mayor hes looking 
at me with a pained expression on his face he 
doesnt know me really but theres a faint recognition 
there i am the girl who brings the strawberries the 
girl his daughter might have spoken of on occasion 
the girl who five years ago stood huddled with her 
mother and sister as he presented her the oldest 
child with a medal of valor a medal for her father 
vaporized in the mines does he remember that 
what does it matter he repeats gruffly let her 
come forward 
 
prim is screaming hysterically behind me shes 
wrapped her skinny arms around me like a vice no 
katniss no you cant go 
prim let go i say harshly because this is upsetting 
me and i dont want to cry when they televise the 
replay of the reapings tonight everyone will make 
note of my tears and ill be marked as an easy target 
a weakling i will give no one that satisfaction let 
go 
i can feel someone pulling her from my back i turn 
and see gale has lifted prim off the ground and shes 
thrashing in his arms up you go catnip he says 
in a voice hes fighting to keep steady and then he 
carries prim off toward my mother i steel myself and 
climb the steps 
well bravo gushes effie trinket thats the spirit 
of the games shes pleased to finally have a district 
with a little action going on in it whats your name 
i swallow hard katniss everdeen i say 
i bet my buttons that was your sister dont want her 
to steal all the glory do we come on everybody 
lets give a big round of applause to our newest 
tribute trills effie trinket 
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 can 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 
 
then something unexpected happens at least i dont 
expect it because i dont think of district 12 as a 
place that cares about me but a shift has occurred 
since i stepped up to take prims 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 goodbye to someone you love 
now i am truly in danger of crying but fortunately 
haymitch chooses this time to come staggering across 
the stage to congratulate me look at her look at 
this one he hollers throwing an arm around my 
shoulders hes surprisingly strong for such a wreck 
i like her his breath reeks of liquor and its been a 
long time since hes bathed lots of  he cant 
think of the word for a while spunk he says 
triumphantly more than you he releases me and 
starts for the front of the stage more than you he 
shouts pointing directly into a camera 
is he addressing the audience or is he so drunk he 
might actually be taunting the capitol ill never 
know because just as hes opening his mouth to 
continue haymitch plummets off the stage and 
knocks himself unconscious 
hes disgusting but im grateful with every camera 
gleefully trained on him i have just enough time to 
release the small choked sound in my throat and 
compose myself i put my hands behind my back and 
stare into the distance 
i can see the hills i climbed this morning with gale 
for a moment i yearn for something    the idea of us 
leaving the district    making our way in the woods    
 
but i know i was right about not running off because 
who else would have volunteered for prim 
haymitch is whisked away on a stretcher and effie 
trinket is trying to get the ball rolling again what an 
exciting day she warbles as she attempts to 
straighten her wig which has listed severely to the 
right but more excitement to come its time to 
choose our boy tribute clearly hoping to contain her 
tenuous hair situation she plants one hand on her 
head as she crosses to the ball that contains the boys 
names and grabs the first slip she encounters she 
zips back to the podium and i dont even have time to 
wish for gales safety when shes reading the name 
peeta mellark 
peeta mellark 
oh no i think not him because i recognize this 
name although i have never spoken directly to its 
owner peeta mellark 
no the odds are not in my favor today i watch him 
as he makes his way toward the stage medium 
height stocky build ashy blond hair that falls in 
waves over 
his forehead the shock of the moment is registering 
on his face you can see his struggle to remain 
emotionless but his blue eyes show the alarm ive 
seen so often in prey yet he climbs steadily onto the 
stage and takes his place 
effie trinket asks for volunteers but no one steps 
forward he has two older brothers i know ive seen 
them in the bakery but one is probably too old now 
to volunteer and the other wont this is standard 
family devotion only goes so far for most people on 
reaping day what i did was the radical thing 
 
the mayor begins to read the long dull treaty of 
treason as he does every year at this point — its 
required — but im not listening to a word 
why him i think then i try to convince myself it 
doesnt matter peeta mellark and i are not friends 
not even neighbors we dont speak our only real 
interaction happened years ago hes probably 
forgotten it but i havent and i know i never will  
it was during the worst time my father had been 
killed in the mine accident three months earlier in the 
bitterest january anyone could remember 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 
the district had given us a small amount of money as 
compensation for his death enough to cover one 
month of grieving at which time my mother would be 
expected to get a job only she didnt she didnt do 
anything but sit propped up in a chair or more often 
huddled under the blankets on her bed eyes fixed on 
some point in the distance once in a while shed 
stir get up as if moved by some urgent purpose only 
to then collapse back into stillness no amount of 
pleading from prim seemed to affect her 
i was terrified i suppose now that my mother was 
locked in some dark world of sadness but at the 
time all i knew was that i had lost not only a father 
but a mother as well at eleven years old with prim 
just seven i took over as head of the family there 
was no choice i bought our food at the market and 
cooked it as best i could and tried to keep prim and 
myself looking presentable because if it had become 
known that my mother could no longer care for us 
 
the district would have taken us away from her and 
placed us in the community home id grown up 
seeing those home kids at school the sadness the 
marks of angry hands on their faces the 
hopelessness that curled their shoulders forward i 
could never let that happen to prim sweet tiny prim 
who cried when i cried before she even knew the 
reason who brushed and plaited my mothers hair 
before we left for school who still polished my fathers 
shaving mirror each night because hed hated the 
layer of coal dust that settled on everything in the 
seam the community home would crush her like a 
bug so i kept our predicament a secret 
but the money ran out and we were slowly starving to 
death theres no other way to put it i kept telling 
myself if i could only hold out until may just may 
8th i would turn twelve and be able to sign up for the 
tesserae and get that precious grain and oil to feed 
us only there were still several weeks to go we could 
well be dead by then 
starvations not an uncommon fate in district 12 
who hasnt seen the victims older people who cant 
work children from a family with too many to feed 
those injured in the mines straggling through the 
streets and one day you come upon them sitting 
motionless against a wall or lying in the meadow you 
hear the wails from a house and the peacekeepers 
are called in to retrieve the body starvation is never 
the cause of death officially its always the flu or 
exposure or pneumonia but that fools no one 
on the afternoon of my encounter with peeta mellark 
the rain was falling in relentless icy sheets i had 
been in town trying to trade some threadbare old 
baby clothes of prims in the public market but there 
were no takers although i had been to the hob on 
several occasions with my father i was too frightened 
 
to venture into that rough gritty place alone the rain 
had soaked through my fathers hunting jacket 
leaving me chilled to the bone for three days wed 
had nothing but boiled water with some old dried 
mint leaves id found in the back of a cupboard by 
the time the market closed i was shaking so hard i 
dropped my bundle of baby clothes in a mud puddle 
i didnt pick it up for fear i would keel over and be 
unable to regain my feet besides no one wanted 
those clothes 
i couldnt go home because at home was my mother 
with her dead eyes and my little sister with her 
hollow cheeks and cracked lips i couldnt walk into 
that room with the smoky fire from the damp 
branches i had scavenged at the edge of the woods 
after the coal had run out my bands empty of any 
hope 
i found myself stumbling along a muddy lane behind 
the shops that serve the wealthiest townspeople the 
merchants live above their businesses so i was 
essentially in their backyards i remember the 
outlines of garden beds not yet planted for the spring 
a goat or two in a pen one sodden dog tied to a post 
hunched defeated in the muck 
all forms of stealing are forbidden in district 12 
punishable by death but it crossed my mind that 
there might be something in the trash bins and those 
were fair game perhaps a bone at the butchers or 
rotted vegetables at the grocers something no one 
but my family was desperate enough to eat 
unfortunately the bins had just been emptied 
when i passed the bakers the smell of fresh bread 
was so overwhelming i felt dizzy the ovens were in 
the back and a golden glow spilled out the open 
kitchen door i stood mesmerized by the heat and the 
 
luscious scent until the rain interfered running its 
icy fingers down my back forcing me back to life i 
lifted the lid to the bakers trash bin and found it 
spotlessly heartlessly bare 
suddenly a voice was screaming at me and i looked 
up to see the bakers wife telling me to move on and 
did i want her to call the peacekeepers and how sick 
she was of having those brats from the seam pawing 
through her trash the words were ugly and i had no 
defense as i carefully replaced the lid and backed 
away i noticed him a boy with blond hair peering out 
from behind his mothers back id seen him at 
school he was in my year but i didnt know his 
name he stuck with the town kids so how would i 
his mother went back into the bakery grumbling but 
he must have been watching me as i made my way 
behind the pen that held their pig and leaned against 
the far side of an old apple tree the realization that 
id 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 
there was a clatter in the bakery and i heard the 
woman screaming again and the sound of a blow and 
i vaguely wondered what was going on feet sloshed 
toward me through the mud and i thought its her 
shes coming to drive me away with a stick but it 
wasnt her it was the boy in his arms he carried two 
large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the 
fire because the crusts were scorched black 
his mother was yelling feed it to the pig you stupid 
creature why not no one decent will buy burned 
bread 
 
he began to tear off chunks from the burned parts 
and toss them into the trough and the front bakery 
bell rung and the mother disappeared to help a 
customer 
the boy never even glanced my way but i was 
watching him because of the bread because of the 
red weal that stood out on his cheekbone what had 
she hit him with 
my parents never hit us i couldnt even imagine it 
the boy took one look back to the bakery as if 
checking that the coast was clear then his attention 
back on the pig he threw a loaf of bread in my 
direction the second quickly followed and he 
sloshed back to the bakery closing the kitchen door 
tightly behind him 
i stared at the loaves in disbelief they were fine 
perfect really except for the burned areas did he 
mean for me to have them he must have because 
there they were at my feet before anyone could 
witness what had happened i shoved the loaves up 
under my shirt wrapped the hunting jacket tightly 
about me and walked swiftly away the heat of the 
bread burned into my skin but i clutched it tighter 
clinging to life 
by the time i reached home the loaves had cooled 
somewhat but the insides were still warm when i 
dropped them on the table prims hands reached to 
tear off a chunk but i made her sit forced my mother 
to join us at the table and poured warm tea i 
scraped off the black stuff and sliced the bread we 
ate an entire loaf slice by slice it was good hearty 
bread filled with raisins and nuts 
i put my clothes to dry at the fire crawled into bed 
and fell into a dreamless sleep it didnt occur to me 
 
until the next morning that the boy might have 
burned the bread on purpose might have dropped 
the loaves into the flames knowing it meant being 
punished and then delivered them to me but i 
dismissed this it must have been an accident why 
would he have done it he didnt even know me still 
just throwing me the bread was an enormous 
kindness that would have surely resulted in a beating 
if discovered 1 couldnt explain his actions 
we ate slices of bread for breakfast and headed to 
school it was as if spring had come overnight warm 
sweet air fluffy clouds at school i passed the boy in 
the hall his cheek had swelled up and his eye had 
blackened he was with his friends and didnt 
acknowledge me in any way but as i collected prim 
and started for home that afternoon i found him 
staring at me from across the school yard our eyes 
met for only a second then he turned his head away 
i dropped my gaze embarrassed and thats when i 
saw it the first dandelion of the year a bell went off 
in my head i thought of the hours spent in the woods 
with my father and i knew how we were going to 
survive 
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 and more than once i have turned in 
the school hallway and caught his eyes trained on 
me only to quickly flit away i feel like i owe him 
something and i hate owing people maybe if i had 
thanked him at some point id be feeling less 
conflicted now i thought about it a couple of times 
but the opportunity never seemed to present itself 
and now it never will because were going to be 
thrown into an arena to fight to the death exactly 
how am i supposed to work in a thankyou in there 
 
somehow it just wont seem sincere if im trying to slit 
his throat 
the mayor finishes the dreary treaty of treason and 
motions for peeta and me to shake hands his are as 
solid and warm as those loaves of bread peeta looks 
me right in the eye and gives my hand what i think is 
meant to be a reassuring squeeze maybe its just a 
nervous spasm 
we turn back to face the crowd as the anthem of 
panem plays 
oh well i think there will be twentyfour of us odds 
are someone else will kill him before i do 
of course the odds have not been very dependable of 
late 
 
the moment the anthem ends we are taken into 
custody i dont mean were handcuffed or anything 
but a group of peacekeepers marches us through the 
front door of the justice building maybe tributes 
have tried to escape in the past ive never seen that 
happen though 
once inside im conducted to a room and left alone 
its the richest place ive ever been in with thick deep 
carpets and a velvet couch and chairs i know velvet 
because my mother has a dress with a collar made of 
the stuff when i sit on the couch i cant help 
running my fingers over the fabric repeatedly it helps 
to calm me as i try to prepare for the next hour the 
time allotted for the tributes to say goodbye to their 
loved ones i cannot afford to get upset to leave this 
room with puffy eyes and a red nose crying is not an 
option there will be more cameras at the train 
station 
my sister and my mother come first i reach out to 
prim and she climbs on my lap her arms around my 
neck head on my shoulder just like she did when 
she was a toddler my mother sits beside me and 
wraps her arms around us for a few minutes we say 
nothing then i start telling them all the things they 
must remember to do now that i will not be there to 
do them for them 
prim is not to take any tesserae they can get by if 
theyre careful on selling prims goat milk and cheese 
and the small apothecary business my mother now 
runs for the people in the seam gale will get her the 
herbs she doesnt grow herself but she must be very 
 
careful to describe them because hes not as familiar 
with them as i am hell also bring them game — he 
and i made a pact about this a year or so ago — and 
will probably not ask for compensation but they 
should thank him with some kind of trade like milk 
or medicine 
i dont bother suggesting prim learn to hunt i tried to 
teach her a couple of times and it was disastrous the 
woods terrified her and whenever i shot something 
shed get teary and talk about how we might be able 
to heal it if we got it home soon enough but she 
makes out well with her goat so i concentrate on 
that 
when i am done with instructions about fuel and 
trading and staying in school i turn to my mother 
and grip her arm hard listen to me are you 
listening to me she nods alarmed by my intensity 
she must know whats coming you cant leave 
again i say 
my mothers eyes find the floor i know i wont i 
couldnt help what —  
well you have to help it this time you cant clock 
out and leave prim on her own theres no me now to 
keep you both alive it doesnt matter what happens 
whatever you see on the screen you have to promise 
me youll fight through it my voice has risen to a 
shout in it is all the anger all the fear i felt at her 
abandonment 
she pulls her arm from my grasp moved to anger 
herself now i was ill i could have treated myself if 
id had the medicine i have now 
that part about her being ill might be true ive seen 
her bring back people suffering from immobilizing 
 
sadness since perhaps it is a sickness but its one 
we cant afford 
then take it and take care of her i say 
ill be all right katniss says prim clasping my face 
in her hands but you have to take care too youre 
so fast and brave maybe you can win 
i cant win prim must know that in her heart the 
competition will be far beyond my abilities kids from 
wealthier districts where winning is a huge honor 
whove been trained their whole lives for this boys 
who are two to three times my size girls who know 
twenty different ways to kill you with a knife oh 
thereh be people like me too people to weed out 
before the real fun begins 
maybe i say because i can hardly tell my mother to 
carry on if ive already given up myself besides it 
isnt in my nature to go down without a fight even 
when things seem insurmountable then wed be 
rich as haymitch 
i dont care if were rich i just want you to come 
home you will try wont you really really try asks 
prim 
really really try i swear it i say and i know 
because of prim ill have to 
and then the peacekeeper is at the door signaling our 
time is up and were all hugging one another so hard 
it hurts and all im saying is i love you i love you 
both and theyre saying it back and then the 
peacekeeper orders them out and the door closes i 
bury my head in one of the velvet pillows as if this 
can block the whole thing out 
 
someone else enters the room and when i look up 
im surprised to see its the baker peeta mellarks 
father i cant believe hes come to visit me after all 
ill be trying to kill his son soon but we do know each 
other a bit and he knows prim even better when she 
sells her goat cheeses at the hob she puts two of 
them aside for him and he gives her a generous 
amount of bread in return we always wait to trade 
with him when his witch of a wife isnt around 
because hes so much nicer i feel certain he would 
never have hit his son the way she did over the 
burned bread but why has he come to see me 
the baker sits awkwardly on the edge of one of the 
plush chairs hes a big broadshouldered man with 
burn scars from years at the ovens he must have 
just said goodbye to his son 
he pulls a white paper package from his jacket pocket 
and holds it out to me i open it and find cookies 
these are a luxury we can never afford 
thank you i say the bakers not a very talkative 
man in the best of times and today he has no words 
at all i had some of your bread this morning my 
friend gale gave you a squirrel for it he nods as if 
remembering the squirrel not your best trade i say 
he shrugs as if it couldnt possibly matter 
then i cant think of anything else so we sit in silence 
until a peacemaker summons him he rises and 
coughs to clear his throat ill keep an eye on the 
little girl make sure shes eating 
i feel some of the pressure in my chest lighten at his 
words people deal with me but they are genuinely 
fond of prim maybe there will be enough fondness to 
keep her alive 
 
my next guest is also unexpected madge walks 
straight to me she is not weepy or evasive instead 
theres an urgency about her tone that surprises me 
they let you wear one thing from your district in the 
arena one thing to remind you of home will you 
wear this she holds out the circular gold pin that 
was on her dress earlier i hadnt paid much attention 
to it before but now i see its a small bird in flight 
your pin i say wearing a token from my district is 
about the last thing on my mind 
here ill put it on your dress all right madge 
doesnt wait for an answer she just leans in and fixes 
the bird to my dress promise youll wear it into the 
arena katniss she asks promise 
yes i say cookies a pin im getting all kinds of 
gifts today madge gives me one more a kiss on the 
cheek then shes gone and im left thinking that 
maybe madge really has been my friend all along 
finally gale is here and maybe there is nothing 
romantic between us but when he opens his arms i 
dont hesitate to go into them his body is familiar to 
me — the way it moves the smell of wood smoke 
even the sound of his heart beating i know from quiet 
moments on a hunt — but this is the first time i 
really feel it lean and hardmuscled against my own 
listen he says getting a knife should be pretty 
easy but youve got to get your hands on a bow 
thats your best chance 
they dont always have bows i say thinking of the 
year there were only horrible spiked maces that the 
tributes had to bludgeon one another to death with 
 
then make one says gale even a weak bow is 
better than no bow at all 
i have tried copying my fathers bows with poor 
results its not that easy even he had to scrap his 
own work sometimes 
i dont even know if therell be wood i say another 
year they tossed everybody into a landscape of 
nothing but boulders and sand and scruffy bushes i 
particularly hated that year many contestants were 
bitten by venomous snakes or went insane from 
thirst 
theres almost always some wood gale says since 
that year half of them died of cold not much 
entertainment in that 
its true we spent one hunger games watching the 
players freeze to death at night you could hardly see 
them because they were just huddled in balls and 
had no wood for fires or torches or anything it was 
considered very anticlimactic in the capitol all those 
quiet bloodless deaths since then theres usually 
been wood to make fires 
yes theres usually some i say 
katniss its just hunting youre the best hunter i 
know says gale 
its not just hunting theyre armed they think i 
say 
so do you and youve had more practice real 
practice he says you know how to kill 
not people i say 
 
how different can it be really says gale grimly 
the awful thing is that if i can forget theyre people it 
will be no different at all 
the peacekeepers are back too soon and gale asks for 
more time but theyre taking him away and i start to 
panic dont let them starve i cry out clinging to 
his hand 
i wont you know i wont katniss remember i —  he 
says and they yank us apart and slam the door and 
111 never know what it was he wanted me to 
remember 
its a short ride from the justice building to the train 
station ive never been in a car before rarely even 
ridden in wagons in the seam we travel on foot 
ive been right not to cry the station is swarming 
with reporters with their insectlike cameras trained 
directly on my face but ive had a lot of practice at 
wiping my face clean of emotions and i do this now i 
catch a glimpse of myself on the television screen on 
the wall thats airing my arrival live and feel gratified 
that i appear almost bored 
peeta mellark on the other hand has obviously been 
crying and interestingly enough does not seem to be 
trying to cover it up i immediately wonder if this will 
be his strategy in the games to appear weak and 
frightened to reassure the other tributes that he is no 
competition at all and then come out fighting this 
worked very well for a girl johanna mason from 
district 7 a few years back she seemed like such a 
sniveling cowardly fool that no one bothered about 
her until there were only a handful of contestants left 
it turned out she could kill viciously pretty clever the 
way she played it but this seems an odd strategy for 
 
peeta mellark because hes a bakers son all those 
years of having enough to eat and hauling bread trays 
around have made him broadshouldered and strong 
it will take an awful lot of weeping to convince anyone 
to overlook him 
we have to stand for a few minutes in the doorway of 
the train while the cameras gobble up our images 
then were allowed inside and the doors close 
mercifully behind us the train begins to move at 
once 
the speed initially takes my breath away of course 
ive never been on a train as travel between the 
districts is forbidden except for officially sanctioned 
duties for us thats mainly transporting coal but 
this is no ordinary coal train its one of the high 
speed capitol models that average 250 miles per 
hour our journey to the capitol will take less than a 
day 
in school they tell us the capitol was built in a place 
once called the rockies district 12 was in a region 
known is appalachia even hundreds of years ago 
they mined coal here which is why our miners have 
to dig so deep 
somehow it all comes back to coal at school besides 
basic reading and math most of our instruction is 
coalrelated except for the weekly lecture on the 
history of panem its mostly a lot of blather about 
what we owe the capitol i know there must be more 
than theyre telling us an actual account of what 
happened during the rebellion but i dont spend 
much time thinking about it whatever the truth is i 
dont see how it will help me get food on the table 
the tribute train is fancier than even the room in the 
justice building we are each given our own 
 
chambers that have a bedroom a dressing area and 
a private bathroom with hot and cold running water 
we dont have hot water at home unless we boil it 
there are drawers filled with fine clothes and effie 
trinket tells me to do anything i want wear anything 
i want everything is at my disposal just be ready for 
supper in an hour i peel off my mothers blue dress 
and take a hot shower ive never had a shower 
before its like being in a summer rain only warmer 
i dress in a dark green shirt and pants 
at the last minute i remember madges little gold pin 
for the first time i get a good look at it its as if 
someone fashioned a small golden bird and then 
attached a ring around it the bird is connected to the 
ring only by its wing tips i suddenly recognize it a 
mockingj ay 
theyre funny birds and something of a slap in the 
face to the capitol during the rebellion the capitol 
bred a series of genetically altered animals as 
weapons the common term for them was muttations 
or sometimesmuttsfor short one was a special bird 
called a jabberjay that had the ability to memorize 
and repeat whole human conversations they were 
homing birds exclusively male that were released 
into regions where the capitols enemies were known 
to be hiding after the birds gathered words theyd fly 
back to centers to be recorded it took people awhile 
to realize what was going on in the districts how 
private conversations were being transmitted then 
of course the rebels fed the capitol endless lies and 
the joke was on it so the centers were shut down and 
the birds were abandoned to die off in the wild 
only they didnt die off instead the jabberjays mated 
with female mockingbirds creating a whole new 
species that could replicate both bird whistles and 
 
human melodies they had lost the ability to 
enunciate words but could still mimic a range of 
human vocal sounds from a childs highpitched 
warble to a mans deep tones and they could re 
create songs not just a few notes but whole songs 
with multiple verses if you had the patience to sing 
them and if they liked your voice 
my father was particularly fond of mockingjays when 
we went hunting he would whistle or sing 
complicated songs to them and after a polite pause 
theyd always sing back not everyone is treated with 
such respect but whenever my father sang all the 
birds in the area would fall silent and listen his voice 
was that beautiful high and clear and so filled with 
life it made you want to laugh and cry at the same 
time i could never bring myself to continue the 
practice after he was gone still theres something 
comforting about the little bird its like having a piece 
of my father with me protecting me i fasten the pin 
onto my shirt and with the dark green fabric as a 
background i can almost imagine the mockingjay 
flying through the trees 
effie trinket comes to collect me for supper i follow 
her through the narrow rocking corridor into a dining 
room with polished paneled walls theres a table 
where all the dishes are highly breakable peeta 
mellark sits waiting for us the chair next to him 
empty 
wheres haymitch asks effie trinket brightly 
last time i saw him he said he was going to take a 
nap says peeta 
well its been an exhausting day says effie trinket 
i think shes relieved by haymitch s absence and who 
can blame her 
 
the supper comes in courses a thick carrot soup 
green salad lamb chops and mashed potatoes cheese 
and fruit a chocolate cake throughout the meal 
effie trinket keeps reminding us to save space 
because theres more to come but im stuffing myself 
because ive never had food like this so good and so 
much and because probably the best thing i can do 
between now and the games is put on a few pounds 
at least you two have decent manners says effie as 
were finishing the main course the pair last year 
ate everything with their hands like a couple of 
savages it completely upset my digestion 
the pair last year were two kids from the seam whod 
never not one day of their lives had enough to eat 
and when they did have food table manners were 
surely the last thing on their minds peetas a bakers 
son my mother taught prim and i to eat properly so 
yes i can handle a fork and knife but i hate effie 
trinkets comment so much i make a point of eating 
the rest of my meal with my fingers then i wipe my 
hands on the tablecloth this makes her purse her 
lips tightly together 
now that the meals over im fighting to keep the food 
down i can see peetas looking a little green too 
neither of our stomachs is used to such rich fare but 
if i can hold down greasy saes concoction of mice 
meat pig entrails and tree bark — a winter specialty 
— im determined to hang on to this 
we go to another compartment to watch the recap of 
the reapings across panem they try to stagger them 
throughout the day so a person could conceivably 
watch the whole thing live but only people in the 
capitol could really do that since none of them have 
to attend reapings themselves 
 
one by one we see the other reapings the names 
called the volunteers stepping forward or more 
often not we examine the faces of the kids who will 
be our competition a few stand out in my mind a 
monstrous boy who lunges forward to volunteer from 
district 2 a foxfaced girl with sleek red hair from 
district 5 a boy with a crippled foot from district 10 
and most hauntingly a twelveyearold girl from 
district 1 1  she has dark brown skin and eyes but 
other than that shes very like prim in size and 
demeanor only when she mounts the stage and they 
ask for volunteers all you can hear is the wind 
whistling through the decrepit buildings around her 
theres no one willing to take her place 
last of all they show district 12 prim being called 
me running forward to volunteer you cant miss the 
desperation in my voice as i shove prim behind me as 
if im afraid no one will hear and they 11 take prim 
away but of course they do hear i see gale pulling 
her off me and watch myself mount the stage the 
commentators are not sure what to say about the 
crowds refusal to applaud the silent salute one 
says that district 12 has always been a bit backward 
but that local customs can be charming as if on cue 
haymitch falls off the stage and they groan comically 
peetas name is drawn and he quietly takes his place 
we shake hands they cut to the anthem again and 
the program ends 
effie trinket is disgruntled about the state her wig 
was in your mentor has a lot to learn about 
presentation a lot about televised behavior 
peeta unexpectedly laughs he was drunk says 
peetahes drunk every year 
every day i add i cant help smirking a little effie 
trinket makes it sound like haymitch just has 
 
somewhat rough manners that could be corrected 
with a few tips from her 
yes hisses effie trinket how odd you two find it 
amusing you know your mentor is your lifeline to the 
world in these games the one who advises you lines 
up your sponsors and dictates the presentation of 
any gifts haymitch can well be the difference between 
your life and your death 
just then haymitch staggers into the compartment 
i miss supper he says in a slurred voice then he 
vomits all over the expensive carpet and falls in the 
mess 
so laugh away says effie trinket she hops in her 
pointy shoes around the pool of vomit and flees the 
room 
 
for a few moments peeta and i take in the scene of 
our mentor trying to rise out of the slippery vile stuff 
from his stomach the reek of vomit and raw spirits 
almost brings my dinner up we exchange a glance 
obviously haymitch isnt much but effie trinket is 
right about one thing once were in the arena hes all 
weve got as if by some unspoken agreement peeta 
and i each take one of haymitch s arms and help him 
to his feet 
i tripped haymitch asks smells bad he wipes 
his hand on his nose smearing his face with vomit 
lets get you back to your room says peeta clean 
you up a bit 
we halflead halfcarry haymitch back to his 
compartment since we cant exactly set him down on 
the embroidered bedspread we haul him into the 
bathtub and turn the shower on him he hardly 
notices 
its okay peeta says to me ill take it from here 
i cant help feeling a little grateful since the last thing 
i want to do is strip down haymitch wash the vomit 
out of his chest hair and tuck him into bed possibly 
peeta is trying to make a good impression on him to 
be his favorite once the games begin but judging by 
the state hes in haymitch will have no memory of 
this tomorrow 
all right i say i can send one of the capitol people 
to help you theres any number on the train 
 
cooking lor us waiting on us guarding us taking 
care of us is their job 
no i dont want them says peeta 
i nod and head to my own room i understand how 
peeta feels i cant stand the sight of the capitol 
people myself but making them deal with haymitch 
might be a small form of revenge so im pondering 
the reason why he insists on taking care of haymitch 
and all of a sudden i think its because hes being 
kind just as he was kind to give me the bread 
the idea pulls me up short a kind peeta mellark is 
far more dangerous to me than an unkind one kind 
people have a way of working their way inside me and 
rooting there and i cant let peeta do this not where 
were going so i decide from this moment on to have 
as little as possible to do with the bakers son 
when i get back to my room the train is pausing at a 
platform to refuel i quickly open the window toss the 
cookies peetas father gave me out of the train and 
slam the glass shut no more no more of either of 
them 
unfortunately the packet of cookies hits the ground 
and bursts open in a patch of dandelions by the 
track i only see the image for a moment because the 
train is off again but its enough enough to remind 
me of that other dandelion in the school yard years 
ago  
i had just turned away from peeta mellarks bruised 
face when i saw the dandelion and i knew hope 
wasnt lost i plucked it carefully and hurried home i 
grabbed a bucket and prims hand and headed to the 
meadow and yes it was dotted with the golden 
headed weeds after wed harvested those we 
 
scrounged along inside the fence for probably a mile 
until wed filled the bucket with the dandelion greens 
stems and flowers that night we gorged ourselves 
on dandelion salad and the rest of the bakery bread 
what else prim asked me what other food can we 
find 
all kinds of things i promised her i just have to 
remember them 
my mother had a book shed brought with her from 
the apothecary shop the pages were made of old 
parchment and covered in ink drawings of plants 
neat handwritten blocks told their names where to 
gather them when they came in bloom their medical 
uses but my father added other entries to the book 
plants for eating not healing dandelions pokeweed 
wild onions pines prim and i spent the rest of the 
night poring over those pages 
the next day we were off school for a while i hung 
around the edges of the meadow but finally i worked 
up the courage to go under the fence it was the first 
time id been there alone without my fathers 
weapons to protect me but i retrieved the small bow 
and arrows hed made me from a hollow tree i 
probably didnt go more than twenty yards into the 
woods that day most of the time i perched up in the 
branches of an old oak hoping for game to come by 
after several hours i had the good luck to kill a 
rabbit 
id shot a few rabbits before with my fathers 
guidance but this id done on my own 
we hadnt had meat in months the sight of the 
rabbit seemed to stir something in my mother she 
roused herself skinned the carcass and made a stew 
 
with the meat and some more greens prim had 
gathered then she acted confused and went back to 
bed but when the stew was done we made her eat a 
bowl 
the woods became our savior and each day i went a 
bit farther into its arms it was slowgoing at first but 
i was determined to feed us i stole eggs from nests 
caught fish in nets sometimes managed to shoot a 
squirrel or rabbit for stew and gathered the various 
plants that sprung up beneath my feet plants are 
tricky many are edible but one false mouthful and 
youre dead i checked and doublechecked the plants 
i harvested with my fathers pictures i kept us alive 
any sign of danger a distant howl the inexplicable 
break of a branch sent me flying back to the fence at 
first then i began to risk climbing trees to escape the 
wild dogs that quickly got bored and moved on bears 
and cats lived deeper in perhaps disliking the sooty 
reek of our district 
on may 8th i went to the justice building signed up 
for my tesserae and pulled home my first batch of 
grain and oil in prims toy wagon on the eighth of 
every month i wasentitled to do the same i couldnt 
stop hunting and gathering of course the grain was 
not enough to live on and there were other things to 
buy soap and milk and thread what we didnt 
absolutely have to eat i began to trade at the hob it 
was frightening to enter that place without my father 
at my side but people had respected him and they 
accepted me game was game after all no matter 
whod shot it i also sold at the back doors of the 
wealthier clients in town trying to remember what my 
father had told me and learning a few new tricks as 
well the butcher would buy my rabbits but not 
squirrels the baker enjoyed squirrel but would only 
trade for one if his wife wasnt around the head 
 
peacekeeper loved wild turkey the mayor had a 
passion for strawberries 
in late summer i was washing up in a pond when i 
noticed the plants growing around me tall with 
leaves like arrowheads blossoms with three white 
petals i knelt down in the water my fingers digging 
into the soft mud and i pulled up handfuls of the 
roots small bluish tubers that dont look like much 
but boiled or baked are as good as any potato 
katniss i said aloud its the plant i was named for 
and i heard my fathers voice joking as long as you 
can find yourself youll never starve i spent hours 
stirring up the pond bed with my toes and a stick 
gathering the tubers that floated to the top that 
night we feasted on fish and katniss roots until we 
were all for the first time in months full 
slowly my mother returned to us she began to clean 
and cook and preserve some of the food i brought in 
for winter people traded us or paid money for her 
medical remedies one day i heard her singing 
prim was thrilled to have her back but i kept 
watching waiting for her to disappear on us again i 
didnt trust her and some small gnarled place inside 
me hated her for her weakness for her neglect for 
the months she had put us through prim forgave her 
but i had taken a step back from my mother put up a 
wall to protect myself from needing her and nothing 
was ever the same between us again 
now i was going to die without that ever being set 
right i thought of how i had yelled at her today in the 
justice building i had told her i loved her too 
though so maybe it would all balance out 
for a while i stand staring out the train window 
wishing i could open it again but unsure of what 
 
would happen at such high speed in the distance i 
see the lights of another district 7 10 i dont know 
i think about the people in their houses settling in 
for bed i imagine my home with its shutters drawn 
tight what are they doing now my mother and prim 
were they able to eat supper the fish stew and the 
strawberries or did it lay untouched on their plates 
did they watch the recap of the days events on the 
battered old tv that sits on the table against the 
wall surely there were more tears is my mother 
holding up being strong for prim or has she already 
started to slip away leaving the weight of the world 
on my sisters fragile shoulders 
prim will undoubtedly sleep with my mother tonight 
the thought of that scruffy old buttercup posting 
himself on the bed to watch over prim comforts me if 
she cries he will nose his way into her arms and curl 
up there until she calms down and falls asleep im so 
glad i didnt drown him 
imagining my home makes me ache with loneliness 
this day has been endless could gale and i have 
been eating blackberries only this morning it seems 
like a lifetime ago like a long dream that deteriorated 
into a nightmare maybe if i go to sleep i will wake 
up back in district 12 where i belong 
probably the drawers hold any number of nightgowns 
but i just strip off my shirt and pants and climb into 
bed in my underwear the sheets are made of soft 
silky fabric a thick fluffy comforter gives immediate 
warmth 
if im going to cry now is the time to do it by 
morning 111 be able to wash the damage done by the 
tears from my face but no tears come im 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 
gray light is leaking through the curtains when the 
rapping rouses me i hear effie trinkets voice calling 
me to rise up up up its going to be a big big big 
day i try and imagine for a moment what it must 
be like inside that womans head what thoughts fill 
her waking hours what dreams come to her at 
night i have no idea 
i put the green outfit back on since its not really 
dirty just slightly crumpled from spending the night 
on the floor my fingers trace the circle around the 
little gold mockingj ay and i think of the woods and of 
my father and of my mother and prim waking up 
having to get on with things 
i slept in the elaborate braided hair my mother did for 
the reaping and it doesnt look too bad so i just leave 
it up it doesnt matter we cant be far from the 
capitol now 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 doesnt 
think nudity is the last word in fashion 
as i enter the dining car effie trinket brushes by me 
with a cup of black coffee shes muttering obscenities 
under her breath haymitch his face puffy and red 
from the previous days indulgences is chuckling 
peeta holds a roll and looks somewhat embarrassed 
sit down sit down says haymitch waving me over 
the moment i slide into my chair im served an 
enormous platter of food eggs ham piles of fried 
potatoes a tureen of fruit sits in ice to keep it chilled 
the basket of rolls they set before me would keep my 
family going for a week theres an elegant glass of 
orange juice at least i think its orange juice ive 
 
only even tasted an orange once at new years when 
my father bought one as a special treat a cup of 
coffee my mother adores coffee which we could 
almost never afford but it only tastes bitter and thin 
to me a rich brown cup of something ive never seen 
they call it hot chocolate says peeta its good 
i take a sip of the hot sweet creamy liquid and a 
shudder runs through me even though the rest of 
the meal beckons i ignore it until ive drained my 
cup then i stuff down every mouthful i can hold 
which is a substantial amount being careful to not 
overdo it on the richest stuff one time my mother 
told me that i always eat like 111 never see food again 
and i said i wont unless i bring it home that shut 
her up 
when my stomach feels like its about to split open i 
lean back and take in my breakfast companions 
peeta is still eating breaking off bits of roll and 
dipping them in hot chocolate haymitch hasnt paid 
much attention to his platter but hes knocking back 
a glass of red juice that he keeps thinning with a clear 
liquid from a bottle judging by the fumes its some 
kind of spirit i dont know haymitch but ive seen 
him often enough in the hob tossing handfuls of 
money on the counter of the woman who sells white 
liquor hell be incoherent by the time we reach the 
capitol 
i realize i detest haymitch no wonder the district 12 
tributes never stand a chance it isnt just that weve 
been underfed and lack training some of our tributes 
have still been strong enough to make a go of it but 
we rarely get sponsors and hes a big part of the 
reason why the rich people who back tributes — 
either because theyre betting on them or simply for 
 
the bragging rights of picking a winner — expect 
someone classier than haymitch to deal with 
so youre supposed to give us advice i say to 
haymitch 
heres some advice stay alive says haymitch and 
then bursts out laughing i exchange a look with 
peeta before i remember im having nothing more to 
do with him im surprised to see the hardness in his 
eyes he generally seems so mild 
thats 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 
haymitch considers this a moment then punches 
peeta in the jaw knocking him from his chair when 
he turns back to reach for the spirits i drive my knife 
into the table between his hand and the bottle barely 
missing his fingers i brace myself to deflect his hit 
but it doesnt come instead he sits back and squints 
at us 
well whats this says haymitch did i actually get 
a pair of fighters this year 
peeta rises from the floor and scoops up a handful of 
ice from under the fruit tureen he starts to raise it to 
the red mark on his jaw 
no says haymitch stopping him let the bruise 
show the audience will think youve mixed it up with 
another tribute before youve even made it to the 
arena 
thats against the rules says peeta 
 
only if they catch you that bruise will say you 
fought you werent caught even better says 
haymitch he turns to me can you hit anything 
with that knife besides a table 
the bow and arrow is my weapon but ive spent a 
fair amount of time throwing knives as well 
sometimes if ive wounded an animal with an arrow 
its better to get a knife into it too before i approach 
it i realize that if i want haymitch s attention this is 
my moment to make an impression i yank the knife 
out of the table get a grip on the blade and then 
throw it into the wall across the room i was actually 
just hoping to get a good solid stick but it lodges in 
the seam between two panels making me look a lot 
better than i am 
stand over here both of you says haymitch 
nodding to the middle of the room we obey and he 
circles us prodding us like animals at times 
checking our muscles examining our faces well 
youre not entirely hopeless seem fit and once the 
stylists get hold of you youll be attractive enough 
peeta and i dont question this the hunger games 
arent a beauty contest but the bestlooking tributes 
always seem to pull more sponsors 
all right ill make a deal with you you dont 
interfere with my drinking and 111 stay sober enough 
to help you says haymitch but you have to do 
exactly what i say 
its not much of a deal but still a giant step forward 
from ten minutes ago when we had no guide at all 
fine says peeta 
 
so help us i say when we get to the arena whats 
the best strategy at the cornucopia for someone —  
one thing at a time in a few minutes well be 
pulling into the station youll be put in the hands of 
your stylists youre not going to like what they do to 
you but no matter what it is dont resist says 
haymitch 
but —  i begin 
no buts dont resist says haymitch he takes the 
bottle of spirits from the table and leaves the car as 
the door swings shut behind him the car goes dark 
there are still a few lights inside but outside its as if 
night has fallen again i realize we must be in the 
tunnel that runs up through the mountains into the 
capitol the mountains form a natural barrier 
between the capitol and the eastern districts it is 
almost impossible to enter from the east except 
through the tunnels this geographical advantage was 
a major factor in the districts losing the war that led 
to my being a tribute today since the rebels had to 
scale the mountains they were easy targets for the 
capitols air forces 
peeta mellark and i stand in silence as the train 
speeds along the tunnel goes on and on and i think 
of the tons of rock separating me from the sky and 
my chest tightens i hate being encased in stone this 
way it reminds me of the mines and my father 
trapped unable to reach sunlight buried forever in 
the darkness 
the train finally begins to slow and suddenly bright 
light floods the compartment we cant help it both 
peeta and i run to the window to see what weve only 
seen on television the capitol the ruling city of 
panem the cameras havent lied about its grandeur 
 
if anything they have not quite captured the 
magnificence of the glistening buildings in a rainbow 
of hues that tower into the air the shiny cars that roll 
down the wide paved streets the oddly dressed people 
with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never 
missed a meal all the colors seem artificial the pinks 
too deep the greens too bright the yellows painful to 
the eyes like the flat round disks of hard candy we 
can never afford to buy at the tiny sweet shop in 
district 12 
the people begin to point at us eagerly as they 
recognize a tribute train rolling into the city i step 
away from the window sickened by their excitement 
knowing they cant wait to watch us die but peeta 
holds his ground actually waving and smiling at the 
gawking crowd he only stops when the train pulls 
into the station blocking us from their view 
he sees me staring at him and shrugs who knows 
he says one of them may be rich 
i have misjudged him i think of his actions since the 
reaping began the friendly squeeze of my hand his 
father showing up with the cookies and promising to 
feed prim    did peeta put him up to that his tears 
at the station volunteering to wash haymitch but 
then challenging him this morning when apparently 
the niceguy approach had failed and now the 
waving at the window already trying to win the 
crowd 
all of the pieces are still fitting together but i sense 
he has a plan forming he hasnt accepted his death 
he is already fighting hard to stay alive which also 
means that kind peeta mellark the boy who gave me 
the bread is fighting hard to kill me 
 
riiip i grit my teeth as venia a woman with aqua 
hair and gold tattoos above her eyebrows yanks a 
strip of fabric from my leg tearing out the hair 
beneath it sorry she pipes in her silly capitol 
accent youre just so hairy 
why do these people speak in such a high pitch why 
do their jaws barely open when they talk why do the 
ends of their sentences go up as if theyre asking a 
question odd vowels clipped words and always a 
hiss on the letter s  no wonder its impossible not to 
mimic them 
venia makes whats supposed to be a sympathetic 
face good news though this is the last one 
readyiget a grip on the edges of the table im seated 
on and nod the final swathe of my leg hair is 
uprooted in a painful jerk 
ive been in the remake center for more than three 
hours and i still havent met my stylist apparently he 
has no interest in seeing me until venia and the other 
members of my prep team have addressed some 
obvious problems this has included scrubbing down 
my body with a gritty loam that has removed not only 
dirt but at least three layers of skin turning my nails 
into uniform shapes and primarily ridding my body 
of hair my legs arms torso underarms and parts of 
my eyebrows have been stripped of the muff leaving 
me like a plucked bird ready for roasting i dont like 
it my skin feels sore and tingling and intensely 
vulnerable but i have kept my side of the bargain 
with haymitch and no objection has crossed my lips 
 
youre doing very well says some guy named 
flavius he gives his orange corkscrew locks a shake 
and applies a fresh coat of purple lipstick to his 
mouth if theres one thing we cant stand its a 
whiner grease her down 
venia and octavia a plump woman whose entire 
body has been dyed a pale shade of pea green rub me 
down with a lotion that first stings but then soothes 
my raw skin then they pull me from the table 
removing the thin robe ive been allowed to wear off 
and on i stand there completely naked as the three 
circle me wielding tweezers to remove any last bits of 
hair i know i should be embarrassed but theyre so 
unlike people that im no more selfconscious than if 
a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my 
feet 
the three step back and admire their work 
excellent you almost look like a human being now 
says flavius and they all laugh 
i force my lips up into a smile to show how grateful i 
am thank you i say sweetly we dont have much 
cause to look nice in district twelve 
this wins them over completely of course you 
dont you poor darling says octavia clasping her 
hands together in distress for me 
but dont worry says venia by the time cinna is 
through with you youre going to be absolutely 
gorgeous 
we promise you know now that weve gotten rid of 
all the hair and filth youre not horrible at all says 
flavius encouragingly lets call cinna 
 
they dart out of the room its hard to hate my prep 
team theyre such total idiots and yet in an odd 
way i know theyre sincerely trying to help me 
i look at the cold white walls and floor and resist the 
impulse to retrieve my robe but this cinna my 
stylist will surely make me remove it at once instead 
my hands go to my hairdo the one area of my body 
my prep team had been told to leave alone my fingers 
stroke the silky braids my mother so carefully 
arranged my mother i left her blue dress and shoes 
on the floor of my train car never thinking about 
retrieving them of trying to hold on to a piece of her 
of home now i wish i had 
the door opens and a young man who must be cinna 
enters im taken aback by how normal he looks most 
of the stylists they interview on television are so dyed 
stenciled and surgically altered theyre grotesque 
but cinnas closecropped hair appears to be its 
natural shade of brown hes in a simple black shirt 
and pants the only concession to selfalteration 
seems to be metallic gold eyeliner that has been 
applied with a light hand it brings out the flecks of 
gold in his green eyes and despite my disgust with 
the capitol and their hideous fashions i cant help 
thinking how attractive it looks 
hello katniss im cinna your stylist he says in a 
quiet voice somewhat lacking in the capitols 
affectations 
hello i venture cautiously 
just give me a moment all right he asks he walks 
around my naked body not touching me but taking 
in every inch of it with his eyes i resist the impulse to 
cross my arms over my chest who did your hair 
 
my mother i say 
its beautiful classic really and in almost perfect 
balance with your profile she has very clever fingers 
he says 
i had expected someone flamboyant someone older 
trying desperately to look young someone who viewed 
me as a piece of meat to be prepared for a platter 
cinna has met none of these expectations 
youre new arent you i dont think ive seen you 
before i say most of the stylists are familiar 
constants in the everchanging pool of tributes some 
have been around my whole life 
yes this is my first year in the games says cinna 
so they gave you district twelve i say newcomers 
generally end up with us the least desirable district 
i asked for district twelve he says without further 
explanation why dont you put on your robe and 
well have a chat 
pulling on my robe i follow him through a door into a 
sitting room two red couches face off over a low 
table three walls are blank the fourth is entirely 
glass providing a window to the city i can see by the 
light that it must be around noon although the 
sunny sky has turned overcast cinna invites me to 
sit on one of the couches and takes his place across 
from me he presses a button on the side of the table 
the top splits and from below rises a second tabletop 
that holds our lunch chicken and chunks of oranges 
cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed of pearly 
white grain tiny green peas and onions rolls shaped 
like flowers and for dessert a pudding the color of 
honey 
 
i try to imagine assembling this meal myself back 
home chickens are too expensive but i could make 
do with a wild turkey id need to shoot a second 
turkey to trade for an orange goats milk would have 
to substitute for cream we can grow peas in the 
garden id have to get wild onions from the woods i 
dont recognize the grain our own tessera ration 
cooks down to an unattractive brown mush fancy 
rolls would mean another trade with the baker 
perhaps for two or three squirrels as for the pudding 
i cant even guess whats in it days of hunting and 
gathering for this one meal and even then it would be 
a poor substitution for the capitol version 
what must it be like i wonder to live in a world 
where food appears at the press of a button how 
would i spend the hours i now commit to combing the 
woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by 
what do they do all day these people in the capitol 
besides decorating their bodies and waiting around 
for a new shipment of tributes to roll in and die for 
their entertainment 
i look up and find cinnas eyes trained on mine how 
despicable we must seem to you he says 
has he seen this in my face or somehow read my 
thoughts hes right though the whole rotten lot of 
them is despicable 
no matter says cinna so katniss about your 
costume for the opening ceremonies my partner 
portia is the stylist for your fellow tribute peeta and 
our current thought is to dress you in complementary 
costumes says cinna as you know its customary 
to reflect the flavor of the district 
for the opening ceremonies youre supposed to wear 
something that suggests your districts principal 
 
industry district 11 agriculture district 4 fishing 
district 3 factories this means that coming from 
district 12 peeta and i will be in some kind of coal 
miners getup since the baggy miners jumpsuits are 
not particularly becoming our tributes usually end 
up in skimpy outfits and hats with headlamps one 
year our tributes were stark naked and covered in 
black powder to represent coal dust its always 
dreadful and does nothing to win favor with the 
crowd i prepare myself for the worst 
so ill be in a coal miner outfit i ask hoping it 
wont be indecent 
not exactly you see portia and i think that coal 
miner things very overdone no one will remember 
you in that and we both see it as our job to make the 
district twelve tributes unforgettable says cinna 
ill be naked for sure i think 
so rather than focus on the coal mining itself were 
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 
youre not afraid of fire are you katniss he sees 
my expression and grins 
a few hours later i am dressed in what will either be 
the most sensational or the deadliest costume in the 
opening ceremonies im in a simple black unitard 
that covers me from ankle to neck shiny leather 
boots lace up to my knees but its the fluttering cape 
made of streams of orange yellow and red and the 
matching headpiece that define this costume cinna 
plans to light them on fire just before our chariot rolls 
into the streets 
 
its not real flame of course just a little synthetic 
fire portia and i came up with youll be perfectly 
safe he says but im not convinced i wont be 
perfectly barbecued by the time we reach the citys 
center 
my face is relatively clear of makeup just a bit of 
highlighting here and there my hair has been 
brushed out and then braided down my back in my 
usual style i want the audience to recognize you 
when youre in the arena says cinna 
dreamily katniss the girl who was on fire 
it crosses my mind that cinnas calm and normal 
demeanor masks a complete madman 
despite this mornings revelation about peetas 
character im actually relieved when he shows up 
dressed in an identical costume he should know 
about fire being a bakers son and all his stylist 
portia and her team accompany him in and everyone 
is absolutely giddy with excitement over what a 
splash well make except cinna he just seems a bit 
weary as he accepts congratulations 
were whisked down to the bottom level of the 
remake center which is essentially a gigantic stable 
the opening ceremonies are about to start pairs of 
tributes are being loaded into chariots pulled by 
teams of four horses ours are coal black the 
animals are so well trained no one even needs to 
guide their reins cinna and portia direct us into the 
chariot and carefully arrange our body positions the 
drape of our capes before moving off to consult with 
each other 
what do you think i whisper to peeta about the 
fire 
 
ill rip off your cape if you 11 rip off mine he says 
through gritted teeth 
deal i say maybe if we can get them off soon 
enough well avoid the worst burns its bad though 
theyll throw us into the arena no matter what 
condition were in i know we promised haymitch 
wed do exactly what they said but i dont think he 
considered this angle 
where is haymitch anyway isnt he supposed to 
protect us from this sort of thing says peeta 
with all that alcohol in him its probably not 
advisable to have him around an open flame i say 
and suddenly were both laughing i guess were both 
so nervous about the games and more pressingly 
petrified of being turned into human torches were 
not acting sensibly 
the opening music begins its easy to hear blasted 
around the capitol massive doors slide open 
revealing the crowdlined streets the ride lasts about 
twenty minutes and ends up at the city circle where 
they will welcome us play the anthem and escort us 
into the training center which will be our 
home prison until the games begin 
the tributes from district 1 ride out in a chariot 
pulled by snowwhite horses they look so beautiful 
spraypainted silver in tasteful tunics glittering with 
jewels district 1 makes luxury items for the capitol 
you can hear the roarofthe crowd they are always 
favorites 
district 2 gets into position to follow them in no time 
at all we are approaching the door and i can see that 
between the overcast sky and evening hour the light 
 
is turning gray the tributes from district 1 1 are just 
rolling out when cinna appears with a lighted torch 
here we go then he says and before we can react 
he sets our capes on fire i gasp waiting for the heat 
but there is only a faint tickling sensation cinna 
climbs up before us and ignites our headdresses he 
lets out a sign of relief it works then he gently 
tucks a hand under my chin remember heads high 
smiles theyre going to love you 
cinna jumps off the chariot and has one last idea he 
shouts something up at us but the music drowns 
him out he shouts again and gestures 
whats he saying i ask peeta for the first time i 
look at him and realize that ablaze with the fake 
flames he is dazzling and i must be too 
i think he said for us to hold hands says peeta he 
grabs my right hand in his left and we look to cinna 
for confirmation he nods and gives a thumbsup 
and thats the last thing i see before we enter the city 
the crowds initial alarm at our appearance quickly 
changes to cheers and shouts of district twelve 
every head is turned our way pulling the focus from 
the three chariots ahead of us at first im frozen but 
then i catch sight of us on a large television screen 
and am floored by how breathtaking we look in the 
deepening twilight the firelight illuminates our faces 
we seem to be leaving a trail of fire off the flowing 
capes cinna was right about the minimal makeup 
we both look more attractive but utterly recognizable 
remember heads high smiles theyre going to love 
you i hear cinnas voice in my head i lift my chin a 
bit higher put on my most winning smile and wave 
with my free hand im glad now i have peeta to clutch 
for balance he is so steady solid as a rock as i gain 
 
confidence i actually blow a few kisses to the crowd 
the people of the capitol are going nuts showering 
us with flowers shouting our names our first names 
which they have bothered to find on the program 
the pounding music the cheers the admiration work 
their way into my blood and i cant 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 
for the first time i feel a flicker of hope rising up in 
me surely there must be one sponsor willing to take 
me on and with a little extra help some food the 
right weapon why should i count myself out of the 
games 
someone throws me a red rose i catch it give it a 
delicate sniff and blow a kiss back in the general 
direction of the giver a hundred hands reach up to 
catch my kiss as if it were a real and tangible thing 
katniss katniss i can hear my name being called 
from all sides everyone wants my kisses 
its not until we enter the city circle that i realize i 
must have completely stopped the circulation in 
peetas hand thats how tightly ive been holding it i 
look down at our linked fingers as i loosen my grasp 
but he regains his grip on me no dont let go of me 
he says the firelight flickers off his blue eyes 
please i might fall out of this thing 
okay i say so i keep holding on but i cant help 
feeling strange about the way cinna has linked us 
together its not really fair to present us as a team 
and then lock us into the arena to kill each other 
 
the twelve chariots fill the loop of the city circle on 
the buildings that surround the circle every window 
is packed with the most prestigious citizens of the 
capitol our horses pull our chariot right up to 
president snows mansion and we come to a halt 
the music ends with a flourish 
the president a small thin man with paperwhite 
hair gives the official welcome from a balcony above 
us it is traditional to cut away to the faces of the 
tributes during the speech but i can see on the 
screen that we are getting way more than our share of 
airtime the darker it becomes the more difficult it is 
to take your eyes off our flickering when the national 
anthem plays they do make an effort to do a quick 
cut around to each pair of tributes but the camera 
holds on the district 12 chariot as it parades around 
the circle one final time and disappears into the 
training center 
the doors have only just shut behind us when were 
engulfed by the prep teams who are nearly 
unintelligible as they babble out praise as i glance 
around i notice a lot of the other tributes are 
shooting us dirty looks which confirms what ive 
suspected weve literally outshone them all then 
cinna and portia are there helping us down from the 
chariot carefully removing our flaming capes and 
headdresses portia extinguishes them with some 
kind of spray from a canister 
i realize im still glued to peeta and force my stiff 
fingers to open we both massage our hands 
thanks for keeping hold of me i was getting a little 
shaky there says peeta 
it didnt show i tell him im sure no one noticed 
 
im sure they didnt notice anything but you you 
should wear flames more often he says they suit 
you and then he gives me a smile that seems so 
genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness 
that unexpected warmth rushes through me 
a warning bell goes off in my head dont be so 
stupid peeta is planning how to kill you i remind 
myself he is luring you in to make you easy prey the 
more likable he is the more deadly he is 
but because two can play at this game i stand on 
tiptoe and kiss his cheek right on his bruise 
 
6 
the training center has a tower designed exclusively 
for the tributes and their teams this will be our 
home until the actual games begin each district has 
an entire floor you simply step onto an elevator and 
press the number of your district easy enough to 
remember 
ive ridden the elevator a couple of times in the 
justice building back in district 12 once to receive 
the medal for my fathers death and then yesterday to 
say my final goodbyes to my friends and family but 
thats a dark and creaky thing that moves like a snail 
and smells of sour milk the walls of this elevator are 
made of crystal so that you can watch the people on 
the ground floor shrink to ants as you shoot up into 
the air its exhilarating and im tempted to ask effie 
trinket if we can ride it again but somehow that 
seems childish 
apparently effie trinkets duties did not conclude at 
the station she and haymitch will be overseeing us 
right into the arena in a way thats a plus because at 
least she can be counted on to corral us around to 
places on time whereas we havent seen haymitch 
since he agreed to help us on the train probably 
passed out somewhere effie trinket on the other 
hand seems to be flying high were the first team 
shes ever chaperoned that made a splash at the 
opening ceremonies shes complimentary about not 
just our costumes but how we conducted ourselves 
and to hear her tell it effie knows everyone whos 
anyone in the capitol and has been talking us up all 
day trying to win us sponsors 
 
ive been very mysterious though she says her 
eyes squint half shut because of course haymitch 
hasnt bothered to tell me your strategies but ive 
done my best with what i had to work with how 
katniss sacrificed herself for her sister how youve 
both successfully struggled to overcome the 
barbarism of your district 
barbarism thats ironic coming from a woman 
helping to prepare us for slaughter and whats she 
basing our success on our table manners 
everyone has their reservations naturally you being 
from the coal district but i said and this was very 
clever of me i said well if you put enough pressure 
on coal it turns to pearls effie beams at us so 
brilliantly that we have no choice but to respond 
enthusiastically to her cleverness even though its 
wrong 
coal doesnt turn to pearls they grow in shellfish 
possibly she meant coal turns to diamonds but thats 
untrue too ive heard they have some sort of 
machine in district 1 that can turn graphite into 
diamonds but we dont mine graphite in district 12 
that was part of district 13s job until they were 
destroyed 
i wonder if the people shes been plugging us to all 
day either know or care 
unfortunately i cant seal the sponsor deals for you 
only haymitch can do that says effie grimly but 
dont worry 111 get him to the table at gunpoint if 
necessary 
although lacking in many departments effie trinket 
has a certain determination i have to admire 
 
my quarters are larger than our entire house back 
home they are plush like the train car but also 
have so many automatic gadgets that im sure i wont 
have time to press all the buttons the shower alone 
has a panel with more than a hundred options you 
can choose regulating water temperature pressure 
soaps shampoos scents oils and massaging 
sponges when you step out on a mat heaters come 
on that blowdry your body instead of struggling with 
the knots in my wet hair i merely place my hand on a 
box that sends a current through my scalp 
untangling parting and drying my hair almost 
instantly it floats down around my shoulders in a 
glossy curtain 
i program the closet for an outfit to my taste the 
windows zoom in and out on parts of the city at my 
command you need only whisper a type of food from 
a gigantic menu into a mouthpiece and it appears 
hot and steamy before you in less than a minute i 
walk around the room eating goose liver and puffy 
bread until theres a knock on the door effies calling 
me to dinner 
good im starving 
peeta cinna and portia are standing out on a 
balcony that overlooks the capitol when we enter the 
dining room im glad to see the stylists particularly 
after i hear that haymitch will be joining us a meal 
presided over by just 
effie and haymitch is bound to be a disaster besides 
dinner isnt really about food its about planning out 
our strategies and cinna and portia have already 
proven how valuable they are 
a silent young man dressed in a white tunic offers us 
all stemmed glasses of wine i think about turning it 
 
down but ive never had wine except the homemade 
stuff my mother uses for coughs and when will i get 
a chance to try it again i take a sip of the tart dry 
liquid and secretly think it could be improved by a 
few spoonfuls of honey 
haymitch shows up just as dinner is being served it 
looks as if hes had his own stylist because hes clean 
and groomed and about as sober as ive ever seen 
him he doesnt refuse the offer of wine but when he 
starts in on his soup i realize its the first time ive 
ever seen him eat maybe he really will pull himself 
together long enough to help us 
cinna and portia seem to have a civilizing effect on 
haymitch and effie at least theyre addressing each 
other decently and they both have nothing but praise 
for our stylists opening act while they make small 
talk i concentrate on the meal mushroom soup 
bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas rare roast 
beef sliced as thin as paper noodles in a green sauce 
cheese that melts on your tongue served with sweet 
blue grapes the servers all young people dressed in 
white tunics like the one who gave us wine move 
wordlessly to and from the table keeping the platters 
and glasses full 
about halfway through my glass of wine my head 
starts feeling foggy so i change to water instead i 
dont like the feeling and hope it wears off soon how 
haymitch can stand walking around like this fulltime 
is a mystery 
i try to focus on the talk which has turned to our 
interview costumes when a girl sets a gorgeous 
looking cake on the table and deftly lights it it blazes 
up and then the flames flicker around the edges 
awhile until it finally goes out i have a moment of 
doubt what makes it burn is it alcohol i say 
 
looking up at the girl thats the last thing i wa — 
oh i know you 
i cant place a name or time to the girls face but im 
certain of it the dark red hair the striking features 
the porcelain white skin but even as i utter the 
words i feel my insides contracting with anxiety and 
guilt at the sight of her and while i cant pull it up i 
know some bad memory is associated with her the 
expression of terror that crosses her face only adds to 
my confusion and unease she shakes her head in 
denial quickly and hurries away from the table 
when i look back the four adults are watching me 
like hawks 
dont be ridiculous katniss how could you possibly 
know an avox snaps effie the very thought 
whats an avox i ask stupidly 
someone who committed a crime they cut her 
tongue so she cant speak says haymitch shes 
probably a traitor of some sort not likely youd know 
her 
and even if you did youre not to speak to one of 
them unless its to give an order says effie of 
course you dont really know her 
but i do know her and now that haymitch has 
mentioned the word traitor i remember from where 
the disapproval is so high i could never admit it no 
i guess not i just —  i stammer and the wine is not 
helping 
peeta snaps his fingers delly cartwright thats who 
it is i kept thinking she looked familiar as well then 
i realized shes a dead ringer for delly 
 
delly cartwright is a pastyfaced lumpy girl with 
yellowish hair who looks about as much like our 
server as a beetle does a butterfly she may also be 
the friendliest person on the planet — she smiles 
constantly at everybody in school even me i have 
never seen the girl with the red hair smile but i jump 
on peetas suggestion gratefully of course thats 
who i was thinking of it must be the hair i say 
something about the eyes too says peeta 
the energy at the table relaxes oh well if thats all 
it is says cinna and yes the cake has spirits but 
all the alcohol has burned off i ordered it specially in 
honor of your fiery debut 
we eat the cake and move into a sitting room to 
watch the replay of the opening ceremonies thats 
being broadcast a few of the other couples make a 
nice impression but none of them can hold a candle 
to us even our own party lets out an ahh as they 
show us coming out of the remake center 
whose idea was the hand holding asks haymitch 
cinnas says portia 
just the perfect touch of rebellion says 
haymitch very nice 
rebellion i have to think about that one a moment 
but when i remember the other couples standing 
stiffly apart never touching or acknowledging each 
other as if their fellow tribute did not exist as if the 
games had already begun i know what haymitch 
means presenting ourselves not as adversaries but as 
friends has distinguished us as much as the fiery 
costumes 
 
tomorrow morning is the first training session meet 
me for breakfast and ill tell you exactly how i want 
you to play it says haymitch to peeta and i now go 
get some sleep while the grownups talk 
peeta and i walk together down the corridor to our 
rooms when we get to my door he leans against the 
frame not blocking my entrance exactly but insisting 
i pay attention to him so delly cartwright imagine 
finding her lookalike here 
hes asking for an explanation and im tempted to 
give him one we both know he covered for me so 
here i am in his debt again if i tell him the truth 
about the girl somehow that might even things up 
how can it hurt really even if he repeated the story 
it couldnt do me much harm it was just something i 
witnessed and he lied as much as i did about delly 
cartwright 
i realize i do want to talk to someone about the girl 
someone who might be able to help me figure out her 
story 
gale would be my first choice but its unlikely ill ever 
see gale again i try to think if telling peeta could give 
him any possible advantage over me but i dont see 
how maybe sharing a confidence will actually make 
him believe i see him as a friend 
besides the idea of the girl with her maimed tongue 
frightens me she has reminded me why im here not 
to model flashy costumes and eat delicacies but to 
die a bloody death while the crowds urge on my killer 
to tell or not to tell my brain still feels slow from the 
wine i stare down the empty corridor as if the 
decision lies there 
 
peeta picks up on my hesitation have you been on 
the roof yet i shake my head cinna showed me 
you can practically see the whole city the winds a 
bit loud though 
i translate this into no one will overhear us 
talkingin my head you do have the sense that we 
might be under surveillance here can we just go 
up 
sure come on says peeta i follow him to a flight of 
stairs that lead to the roof theres a small dome 
shaped room with a door to the outside as we step 
into the cool windy evening air i catch my breath at 
the view the capitol twinkles like a vast field of 
fireflies electricity in district 12 comes and goes 
usually we only have it a few hours a day often the 
evenings are spent in candlelight the only time you 
can count on it is when theyre airing the games or 
some important government message on television 
that its mandatory to watch but here there would be 
no shortage ever 
peeta and i walk to a railing at the edge of the roof i 
look straight down the side of the building to the 
street which is buzzing with people you can hear 
their cars an occasional shout and a strange 
metallic tinkling in district 12 wed all be thinking 
about bed right now 
i asked cinna why they let us up here werent they 
worried that some of the tributes might decide to 
jump right over the side says peeta 
whatd he say i ask 
you cant says peeta he holds out his hand into 
seemingly empty space theres a sharp zap and he 
 
jerks it back some kind of electric field throws you 
back on the roof 
always worried about our safety i say even though 
cinna has shown peeta the roof i wonder if were 
supposed to be up here now so late and alone ive 
never seen tributes on the training center roof 
before but that doesnt mean were not being taped 
do you think theyre watching us now 
maybe he admits come see the garden 
on the other side of the dome theyve built a garden 
with flower beds and potted trees from the branches 
hang hundreds of wind chimes which account for the 
tinkling i heard here in the garden on this windy 
night its enough to drown out two people who are 
trying not to be heard peeta looks at me expectantly 
i pretend to examine a blossom we were hunting in 
the woods one day hidden waiting for game i 
whisper 
you and your father he whispers back 
no my friend gale suddenly all the birds stopped 
singing at once except one as if it were giving a 
warning call and then we saw her im sure it was 
the same girl a boy was with her their clothes were 
tattered they had dark circles under their eyes from 
no sleep they were running as if their lives depended 
on it i say 
for a moment im silent as i remember how the sight 
of this strange pair clearly not from district 12 
fleeing through the woods immobilized us later we 
wondered if we could have helped them escape 
perhaps we might have concealed them if wed 
moved quickly gale and i were taken by surprise 
 
yes but were both hunters we know how animals 
look at bay we knew the pair was in trouble as soon 
as we saw them but we only watched 
the hovercraft appeared out of nowhere i continue 
to peeta i mean one moment the sky was empty and 
the next it was there it didnt make a sound but they 
saw it a net dropped down on the girl and carried her 
up fast so fast like the elevator they shot some sort 
of spear through the boy it was attached to a cable 
and they hauled him up as well but im certain he 
was dead we heard the girl scream once the boys 
name i think then it was gone the hovercraft 
vanished into thin air and the birds began to sing 
again as if nothing had happened 
did they see you peeta asked 
i dont know we were under a shelf of rock i reply 
but i do know there was a moment after the 
birdcall but before the hovercraft where the girl had 
seen us shed locked eyes with me and called out for 
help but neither gale or i had responded 
youre shivering says peeta 
the wind and the story have blown all the warmth 
from my body the girls scream had it been her last 
peeta takes off his jacket and wraps it around my 
shoulders i start to take a step back but then i let 
him deciding for a moment to accept both his jacket 
and his kindness a friend would do that right 
they were from here he asks and he secures a 
button at my neck 
 
i nod theyd had that capitol look about them the 
boy and the girl 
where do you suppose they were going he asks 
i dont know that i say district 12 is pretty much 
the end of the line beyond us theres only 
wilderness if you dont count the ruins of district 13 
that still smolder from the toxic bombs they show it 
on television occasionally just to remind us or why 
they would leave here haymitch had called the 
avoxes traitors against what it could only be the 
capitol but they had everything here no cause to 
rebel 
id leave here peeta blurts out then he looks 
around nervously it was loud enough to hear above 
the chimes he laughs id go home now if they let me 
but you have to admit the foods prime 
hes covered again if thats all youd heard it would 
just sound like the words of a scared tribute not 
someone contemplating the unquestionable goodness 
of the capitol 
its getting chilly we better go in he says inside 
the dome its warm and bright his tone is 
conversational your friend gale hes the one who 
took your sister away at the reaping 
yes do you know him i ask 
not really i hear the girls talk about him a lot i 
thought he was your cousin or something you favor 
each other he says 
no were not related i say 
 
peeta nods unreadable did he come to say goodbye 
to you 
yes i say observing him carefully so did your 
father he brought me cookies 
peeta raises his eyebrows as if this is news but after 
watching him lie so smoothly i dont give this much 
weight really well he likes you and your sister i 
think he wishes he had a daughter instead of a 
houseful of boys 
the idea that i might ever have been discussed 
around the dinner table at the bakery fire just in 
passing in peetas house gives me a start it must 
have been when the mother was out of the room 
he knew your mother when they were kids says 
peeta 
another surprise but probably true oh yes she 
grew up in town i say it seems impolite to say she 
never mentioned the baker except to compliment his 
bread 
were at my door i give back his jacket see you in 
the morning then 
see you he says and walks off down the hall 
when i open my door the redheaded girl is collecting 
my unitard and boots from where i left them on the 
floor before my shower i want to apologize for 
possibly getting her in trouble earlier but i remember 
im not supposed to speak to her unless im giving her 
an order 
oh sorry i say i was supposed to get those back 
to cinna im sorry can you take them to him 
 
she avoids my eyes gives a small nod and heads out 
the door 
id set out to tell her i was sorry about dinner but i 
know that my apology runs much deeper that im 
ashamed i never tried to help her in the woods that i 
let the capitol kill the boy and mutilate her without 
lifting a finger 
just like i was watching the games 
i kick off my shoes and climb under the covers in my 
clothes the shivering hasnt stopped perhaps the girl 
doesnt even remember me but i know she does you 
dont forget the face of the person who was your last 
hope i pull the covers up over my head as if this will 
protect me from the redheaded girl who cant speak 
but i can feel her eyes staring at me piercing through 
walls and doors and bedding 
i wonder if shell enjoy watching me die 
 
7 
my slumbers are filled with disturbing dreams the 
face of the redheaded girl intertwines with gory 
images from earlier hunger games with my mother 
withdrawn and unreachable with prim emaciated 
and terrified i bolt up screaming for my father to run 
as the mine explodes into a million deadly bits of 
light 
dawn is breaking through the windows the capitol 
has a misty haunted air my head aches and i must 
have bitten into the side of my cheek in the night my 
tongue probes the ragged flesh and i taste blood 
slowly i drag myself out of bed and into the shower i 
arbitrarily punch buttons on the control board and 
end up hopping from foot to foot as alternating jets of 
icy cold and steaming hot water assault me then im 
deluged in lemony foam that i have to scrape off with 
a heavy bristled brush oh well at least my blood is 
flowing 
when im dried and moisturized with lotion i find an 
outfit has been left for me at the front of the closet 
tight black pants a longsleeved burgundy tunic and 
leather shoes i put my hair in the single braid down 
my back this is the first time since the morning of 
the reaping that i resemble myself no fancy hair and 
clothes no flaming capes just me looking like i 
could be headed for the woods it calms me 
haymitch didnt give us an exact time to meet for 
breaklast and no one has contacted me this 
morning but im hungry so i head down to the dining 
room hoping there will be food im not disappointed 
 
while the table is empty a long board off to the side 
has been laid with at least twenty dishes a young 
man an avox stands at attention by the spread 
when i ask if i can serve myself he nods assent i 
load a plate with eggs sausages batter cakes covered 
in thick orange preserves slices of pale purple melon 
as i gorge myself i watch the sun rise over the 
capitol i have a second plate of hot grain smothered 
in beef stew finally i fill a plate with rolls and sit at 
the table breaking oil bits and dipping them into hot 
chocolate the way peeta did on the train 
my mind wanders to my mother and prim they must 
be up my mother getting their breakfast of mush 
prim milking her goat before school just two 
mornings ago i was home can that be right yes 
just two and now how empty the house feels even 
from a distance what did they say last night about 
my fiery debut at the games did it give them hope 
or simply add to their terror when they saw the reality 
of twentyfour tributes circled together knowing only 
one could live 
haymitch and peeta come in bid me good morning 
fill their plates it makes me irritated that peeta is 
wearing exactly the same outfit i am i need to say 
something to cinna this twins act is going to blow 
up in out faces once the games begin surely they 
must know this then i remember haymitch telling 
me to do exactly what the stylists tell me to do if it 
was anyone but cinna i might be tempted to ignore 
him but after last nights triumph i dont have a lot 
of room to criticize his choices 
im nervous about the training there will be three 
days in which all the tributes practice together on 
the last afternoon well each get a chance to perform 
in private before the gamemakers the thought of 
meeting the other tributes facetoface makes me 
 
queasy i turn the roll i have just taken from the 
basket over and over in my hands but my appetite is 
gone 
when haymitch has finished several platters of stew 
he pushes back his plate with a sigh he takes a flask 
from his pocket and takes a long pull on it and leans 
his elbows on the table so lets get down to 
business training first off if you like 111 coach you 
separately decide now 
why would you coach us separately i ask 
say if you had a secret skill you might not want the 
other to know about says haymitch 
i exchange a look with peeta i dont have any secret 
skills he says and i already know what yours is 
right i mean ive eaten enough of your squirrels 
i never thought about peeta eating the squirrels i 
shot somehow i always pictured the baker quietly 
going off and frying them up for himself not out of 
greed but because town families usually eat 
expensive butcher meat beef and chicken and horse 
you can coach us together i tell haymitch peeta 
nods 
all right so give me some idea of what you can 
do says haymitch 
i cant do anything says peeta unless you count 
baking bread 
sorry i dont katniss i already know youre handy 
with a knife says haymitch 
 
not really but i can hunt i say with a bow and 
arrow 
and youre good asks haymitch 
i have to think about it ive been putting food on the 
table for four years thats no small task im not as 
good as my father was but hed had more practice 
ive better aim than gale but ive had more practice 
hes a genius with traps and snares im all right i 
say 
shes excellent says peeta my father buys her 
squirrels he always comments on how the arrows 
never pierce the body she hits every one in the eye 
its the same with the rabbits she sells the butcher 
she can even bring down deer 
this assessment of my skills from peeta takes me 
totally by surprise first that he ever noticed 
second that hes talking me up what are you 
doing i ask him suspiciously 
what are you doing if hes going to help you he has 
to know what youre capable of dont underrate 
yourself says peeta 
i dont know why but this rubs me the wrong way 
what about you ive seen you in the market you 
can lift hundredpound bags of flour i snap at him 
tell him that thats not nothing 
yes and im sure the arena will be full of bags of 
flour for me to chuck at people its not like being able 
to use a weapon you know it isnt he shoots back 
he can wrestle i tell haymitch he came in second 
in our school competition last year only after his 
brother 
 
what use is that how many times have you seen 
someone wrestle someone to death says peeta in 
disgust 
theres always handtohand combat all you need is 
to come up with a knife and youll at least stand a 
chance if i get jumped im dead i can hear my voice 
rising in anger 
but you wont youll be living up in some tree eating 
raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows you 
know what my mother said to me when she came to 
say goodbye as if to cheer me up she says maybe 
district twelve will finally have a winner then i 
realized she didnt mean me she meant you bursts 
out peeta 
oh she meant you i say with a wave of dismissal 
she said shes a survivor that onesheis says 
peeta 
that pulls me up short did his mother really say that 
about me did she rate me over her son i see the 
pain in peetas eyes and know he isnt lying 
suddenly im behind the bakery and i can feel the 
chill of the rain running down my back the 
hollowness in my belly i sound eleven years old when 
i speak but only because someone helped me 
peetas eyes flicker down to the roll in my hands and 
i know he remembers that day too but he just 
shrugs people will help you in the arena they 11 be 
tripping over each other to sponsor you 
no more than you i say 
 
peeta rolls his eyes at haymitch she has no idea 
the effect she can have he runs his fingernail along 
the wood grain in the table refusing to look at me 
what on earth does he mean people help me when 
we were dying of starvation no one helped me no one 
except peeta once i had something to barter with 
things changed im a tough trader or am i what 
effect do i have that im weak and needy is he 
suggesting that i got good deals because people pitied 
me i try to think if this is true perhaps some of the 
merchants were a little generous in their trades but i 
always attributed that to their longstanding 
relationship with my father besides my game is first 
class no one pitied me 
i glower at the roll sure he meant to insult me 
after about a minute of this haymitch says well 
then well well well katniss theres no guarantee 
theyll be bows and arrows in the arena but during 
your private session with the gamemakers show 
them what you can do until then stay clear of 
archery are you any good at trapping 
i know a few basic snares i mutter 
that may be significant in terms of food says 
haymitch and peeta shes right never 
underestimate strength in the arena very often 
physical power tilts the advantage to a player in the 
training center they will have weights but dont 
reveal how much you can lift in front of the other 
tributes the plans the same for both of you you go 
to group training spend the time trying to learn 
something you dont know throw a spear swing a 
mace learn to tie a decent knot save showing what 
youre best at until your private sessions are we 
clear says haymitch peeta and i nod 
 
one last thing in public i want you by each others 
side every minute says haymitch we both start to 
object but haymitch slams his hand on the table 
every minute its not open for discussion you 
agreed to do as i said you will be together you will 
appear amiable to each other now get out meet effie 
at the elevator at ten for training 
i bite my lip and stalk back to my room making sure 
peeta can hear the door slam i sit on the bed hating 
haymitch hating peeta hating myself for mentioning 
that day long ago in the rain 
its such a joke peeta and i going along pretending to 
be friends talking up each others strengths 
insisting the other take credit for their abilities 
because in fact at some point were going to have to 
knock it off and accept were bitter adversaries which 
id be prepared to do right now if it wasnt for 
haymitchs stupid instruction that we stick together 
in training its my own fault i guess for telling him 
he didnt have to coach us separately but that didnt 
mean i wanted to do everything with peeta who by 
the way clearly doesnt want to be partnering up with 
me either 
i hear peetas voice in my head she has no idea the 
effect she can have obviously meant to demean me 
right but a tiny part of me wonders if this was a 
compliment that he meant i was appealing in some 
way its weird how much hes noticed me like the 
attention hes paid to my hunting and apparently i 
have not been as oblivious to him as i imagined 
either the flour the wrestling i have kept track of 
the boy with the bread 
its almost ten i clean my teeth and smooth back my 
hair again anger temporarily blocked out my 
nervousness about meeting the other tributes but 
 
now i can feel my anxiety rising again by the time i 
meet effie and peeta at the elevator i catch myself 
biting my nails i stop at once 
the actual training rooms are below ground level of 
our building with these elevators the ride is less 
than a minute the doors open into an enormous 
gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacle 
courses although its not yet ten were the last ones 
to arrive the other tributes are gathered in a tense 
circle they each have a cloth square with their 
district number on it pinned to their shirts while 
someone pins the number 12 on my back i do a quick 
assessment peeta and i are the only two dressed 
alike 
as soon as we join the circle the head trainer a tall 
athletic woman named atala steps up and begins to 
explain the training schedule experts in each skill 
will remain at their stations we will be free to travel 
from area to area as we choose per our mentors 
instructions some of the stations teach survival 
skills others fighting techniques we are forbidden to 
engage in any combative exercise with another 
tribute there are assistants on hand if we want to 
practice with a partner 
when atala begins to read down the list of the skill 
stations my eyes cant help flitting around to the 
other tributes its the first time weve been 
assembled on level ground in simple clothes my 
heart sinks almost all of the boys and at least half of 
the girls are bigger than i am even though many of 
the tributes have never been fed properly you can see 
it in their bones their skin the hollow look in their 
eyes i may be smaller naturally but overall my 
familys resourcefulness has given me an edge in that 
area i stand straight and while im thin im strong 
the meat and plants from the woods combined with 
 
the exertion it took to get them have given me a 
healthier body than most of those i see around me 
the exceptions are the kids from the wealthier 
districts the volunteers the ones who have been fed 
and trained throughout their lives for this moment 
the tributes from 12 and 4 traditionally have this 
look about them its technically against the rules to 
train tributes before they reach the capitol but it 
happens every year in district 12 we call them the 
career tributes or just the careers and like as not 
the winner will be one of them 
the slight advantage i held coming into the training 
center my fiery entrance last night seems to vanish 
in the presence of my competition the other tributes 
were jealous of us but not because we were amazing 
because our stylists were now i see nothing but 
contempt in the glances of the career tributes each 
must have fifty to a hundred pounds on me they 
project arrogance and brutality when atala releases 
us they head straight for the deadliestlooking 
weapons in the gym and handle them with ease 
im thinking that its lucky im a fast runner when 
peeta nudges my arm and i jump he is still beside 
me per haymitchs instructions his expression is 
sober where would you like to start 
i look around at the career tributes who are showing 
off clearly trying to intimidate the field then at the 
others the underfed the incompetent shakily having 
their first lessons with a knife or an ax 
suppose we tie some knots i say 
right you are says peeta we cross to an empty 
station where the trainer seems pleased to have 
students you get the feeling that the knottying class 
 
is not the hunger games hot spot when he realizes i 
know something about snares he shows us a simple 
excellent trap that will leave a human competitor 
dangling by a leg from a tree we concentrate on this 
one skill for an hour until both of us have mastered 
it then we move on to camouflage peeta genuinely 
seems to enjoy this station swirling a combination of 
mud and clay and berry juices around on his pale 
skin weaving disguises from vines and leaves the 
trainer who runs the camouflage station is full of 
enthusiasm at his work 
i do the cakes he admits to me 
the cakes i ask ive been preoccupied with 
watching the boy from district 2 send a spear 
through a dummys heart from fifteen yards what 
cakes 
at home the iced ones for the bakery he says 
he means the ones they display in the windows 
fancy cakes with flowers and pretty things painted in 
frosting theyre for birthdays and new years day 
when were in the square prim always drags me over 
to admire them although wed never be able to afford 
one theres little enough beauty in district 12 
though so i can hardly deny her this 
i look more critically at the design on peetas arm the 
alternating pattern of light and dark suggests 
sunlight falling through the leaves in the woods i 
wonder how he knows this since i doubt hes ever 
been beyond the fence has he been able to pick this 
up from just that scraggly old apple tree in his 
backyard somehow the whole thing — his skill 
those inaccessible cakes the praise of the camouflage 
expert — annoys me 
 
its lovely if only you could frost someone to deathi 
say 
dont be so superior you can never tell what you 11 
find in the arena say its actually a gigantic cake —  
begins peeta 
say we move on i break in 
so the next three days pass with peeta and i going 
quietly from station to station we do pick up some 
valuable skills from starting fires to knife throwing 
to making shelter despite haymitchs order to appear 
mediocre peeta excels in handtohand combat and i 
sweep the edible plants test without blinking an eye 
we steer clear of archery and weightlifting though 
wanting to save those for our private sessions 
the gamemakers appeared early on the first day 
twenty or so men and women dressed in deep purple 
robes they sit in the elevated stands that surround 
the gymnasium sometimes wandering about to watch 
us jotting down notes other times eating at the 
endless banquet that has been set for them ignoring 
the lot of us but they do seem to be keeping their eye 
on the district 12 tributes several times ive looked 
up to find one fixated on me they consult with the 
trainers during our meals as well we see them all 
gathered together when we come back 
breakfast and dinner are served on our floor but at 
lunch the twentyfour of us eat in a dining room off 
the gymnasium food is arranged on carts around the 
room and you serve yourself the career tributes 
tend to gather rowdily around one table as if to prove 
their superiority that they have no fear of one 
another and consider the rest of us beneath notice 
most of the other tributes sit alone like lost sheep no 
one says a word to us peeta and i eat together and 
 
since haymitch keeps dogging us about it try to keep 
up a friendly conversation during the meals 
its not easy to find a topic talking of home is 
painful talking of the present unbearable one day 
peeta empties our breadbasket and points out how 
they have been careful to include types from the 
districts along with the refined bread of the capitol 
the fishshaped loaf tinted green with seaweed from 
district 4 the crescent moon roll dotted with seeds 
from district 1 1  somehow although its made from 
the same stuff it looks a lot more appetizing than the 
ugly drop biscuits that are the standard fare at home 
and there you have it says peeta scooping the 
breads back in the basket 
you certainly know a lot i say 
only about bread he says okay now laugh as if 
ive said something funny 
we both give a somewhat convincing laugh and ignore 
the stares from around the room 
all right ill keep smiling pleasantly and you 
talksays peeta its wearing us both out haymitch s 
direction to be friendly because ever since i slammed 
my door theres been a chill in the air between us 
but we have our orders 
did i ever tell you about the time i was chased by a 
bear i ask 
no but it sounds fascinating says peeta 
i try and animate my face as i recall the event a true 
story in which id foolishly challenged a black bear 
over the rights to a beehive peeta laughs and asks 
 
questions right on cue hes much better at this than 
i am 
on the second day while were taking a shot at spear 
throwing he whispers to me i think we have a 
shadow 
i throw my spear which im not too bad at actually if 
i dont have to throw too far and see the little girl 
from district 1 1 standing back a bit watching us 
shes the twelveyearold the one who reminded me 
so of prim in stature up close she looks about ten 
she has bright dark eyes and satiny brown skin and 
stands tilted up on her toes with her arms slightly 
extended to her sides as if ready to take wing at the 
slightest sound its impossible not to think of a bird 
i pick up another spear while peeta throws i think 
her names rue he says softly 
i bite my lip rue is a small yellow flower that grows 
in the meadow rue primrose neither of them could 
tip the scale at seventy pounds soaking wet 
what can we do about it i ask him more harshly 
than i intended 
nothing to do he says back just making 
conversation 
now that i know shes there its hard to ignore the 
child she slips up and joins us at different stations 
like me shes clever with plants climbs swiftly and 
has good aim she can hit the target every time with a 
slingshot but what is a slingshot against a 220 
pound male with a sword 
back on the district 12 floor haymitch and effie grill 
us throughout breakfast and dinner about every 
 
moment of the day what we did who watched us 
how the other tributes size up cinna and portia 
arent around so theres no one to add any sanity to 
the meals not that haymitch and effie are fighting 
anymore instead they seem to be of one mind 
determined to whip us into shape full of endless 
directions about what we should do and not do in 
training peeta is more patient but i become fed up 
and surly 
when we finally escape to bed on the second night 
peeta mumbles someone ought to get haymitch a 
drink 
i make a sound that is somewhere between a snort 
and a laugh then catch myself its messing with my 
mind too much trying to keep straight when were 
supposedly friends and when were not at least when 
we get into the arena 111 know where we stand 
dont dont lets pretend when theres no one 
around 
all right katniss he says tiredly after that we only 
talk in front of people 
on the third day of training they start to call us out 
of lunch for our private sessions with the 
gamemakers district by district first the boy then 
the girl tribute as usual district 12 is slated to go 
last we linger in the dining room unsure where else 
to go no one comes back once they have left as the 
room empties the pressure to appear friendly 
lightens by the time they call rue we are left alone 
we sit in silence until they summon peeta he rises 
remember what haymitch said about being sure to 
throw the weights the words come out of my mouth 
without permission 
 
thanks i will he says you  shoot straight 
i nod i dont know why i said anything at all 
although if im going to lose id rather peeta win than 
the others better for our district for my mother and 
prim 
after about fifteen minutes they call my name i 
smooth my hair set my shoulders back and walk 
into the gymnasium instantly i know im in trouble 
theyve been here too long the gamemakers sat 
through twentythree other demonstrations had too 
much to wine most of them want more than 
anything to go home 
theres nothing i can do but continue with the plan i 
walk to the archery station oh the weapons ive 
been itching to get my hands on them for days bows 
made of wood and plastic and metal and materials i 
cant even name arrows with feathers cut in flawless 
uniform lines i choose a bow string it and sling the 
matching quiver of arrows over my shoulder theres 
a shooting range but its much too limited standard 
bullseyes and human silhouettes i walk to the 
center of the gymnasium and pick my first target the 
dummy used for knife practice even as i pull back on 
the bow i know something is wrong the strings 
tighter than the one i use at home the arrows more 
rigid i miss the dummy by a couple of inches and 
lose what little attention i had been commanding for 
a moment im humiliated then i head back to the 
bullseye i shoot again and again until i get the feel 
of these new weapons 
back in the center of the gymnasium i take my initial 
position and skewer the dummy right through the 
heart then i sever the rope that holds the sandbag 
for boxing and the bag splits open as it slams to the 
ground without pausing i shoulderroll forward 
 
come up on one knee and send an arrow into one of 
the hanging lights high above the gymnasium floor a 
shower of sparks bursts from the fixture 
its excellent shooting i turn to the gamemakers a 
few are nodding approval but the majority of them 
are fixated on a roast pig that has just arrived at their 
banquet table 
suddenly i am furious that with my life on the line 
they dont even have the decency to pay attention to 
me that im being upstaged by a dead pig my heart 
starts to pound i can feel my face burning without 
thinking i pull an arrow from my quiver and send it 
straight at the gamemakers table i hear shouts of 
alarm as people stumble back the arrow skewers the 
apple in the pigs mouth and pins it to the wall 
behind it everyone stares at me in disbelief 
thank you for your consideration i say then i give 
a slight bow and walk straight toward the exit without 
being dismissed 
 
3 
as i stride toward the elevator i fling my bow to one 
side and my quiver to the other i brush past the 
gaping avoxes who guard the elevators and hit the 
number twelve button with my fist the doors slide 
together and i zip upward i actually make it back to 
my floor before the tears start running down my 
cheeks i can hear the others calling me from the 
sitting room but i fly down the hall into my room 
bolt the door and fling myself onto my bed then i 
really begin to sob 
now ive done it now ive ruined everything if id 
stood even a ghost of chance it vanished when i sent 
that arrow flying at the gamemakers what will they 
do to me now arrest me execute me cut my 
tongue and turn me into an avox so i can wait on the 
future tributes of panem what was i thinking 
shooting at the gamemakers of course i wasnt i 
was shooting at that apple because i was so angry at 
being ignored i wasnt trying to kill one of them if i 
were theyd be dead 
oh what does it matter its not like i was going to 
win the games anyway who cares what they do to 
me what really scares me is what they might do to 
my mother and prim how my family might suffer now 
because of my impulsiveness will they take their few 
belongings or send my mother to prison and prim to 
the community home or kill them they wouldnt kill 
them would they why not what do they care 
i should have stayed and apologized or laughed like 
it was a big joke then maybe i would have found 
 
some leniency but instead i stalked out of the place 
in the most disrespectful manner possible 
haymitch and effie are knocking on my door i shout 
for them to go away and eventually they do it takes 
at least an hour for me to cry myself out then i just 
lay curled up on the bed stroking the silken sheets 
watching the sun set over the artificial candy capitol 
at first i expect guards to come for me but as time 
passes it seems less likely i calm down they still 
need a girl tribute from district 12 dont they if the 
gamemakers want to punish me they can do it 
publicly wait until im in the arena and sic starving 
wild animals on me you can bet theyll make sure i 
dont have a bow and arrow to defend myself 
before that though theyll give me a score so low no 
one in their right mind would sponsor me thats 
what will happen tonight since the training isnt 
open to viewers the gamemakers announce a score 
for each player it gives the audience a starting place 
for the betting that will continue throughout the 
games the number which is between one and 
twelve one being irredeemably bad and twelve being 
unattainably high signifies the promise of the tribute 
the mark is not a guarantee of which person will win 
its only an indication of the potential a tribute 
showed in training often because of the variables in 
the actual arena highscoring tributes go down 
almost immediately and a few years ago the boy who 
won the games only received a three still the scores 
can help or hurt an individual tribute in terms of 
sponsorship i had been hoping my shooting skills 
might get me a six or a seven even if im not 
particularly powerful now im sure 111 have the 
lowest score of the twentyfour if no one sponsors 
me my odds of staying alive decrease to almost zero 
 
when effie taps on the door to call me to dinner i 
decide i may as well go the scores will be televised 
tonight its not like i can hide what happened forever 
i go to the bathroom and wash my face but its still 
red and splotchy 
everyones waiting at the table even cinna and 
portia i wish the stylists hadnt shown up because 
for some reason i dont like the idea of disappointing 
them its as if ive thrown away all the good work 
they did on the opening ceremonies without a 
thought i avoid looking at anyone as i take tiny 
spoonfuls of fish soup the saltiness reminds me of 
my tears 
the adults begin some chitchat about the weather 
forecast and i let my eyes meet peetas he raises his 
eyebrows a question what happened i just give my 
head a small shake then as theyre serving the main 
course i hear haymitch say okay enough small 
talk just how bad were you today 
peeta jumps in i dont know that it mattered by the 
time i showed up no one even bothered to look at me 
they were singing some kind of drinking song i 
think so i threw around some heavy objects until 
they told me i could go 
that makes me feel a bit better its not like peeta 
attacked the gamemakers but at least he was 
provoked too 
and you sweetheart says haymitch 
somehow haymitch calling me sweetheart ticks me 
off enough that im at least able to speak i shot an 
arrow at the gamemakers 
 
everyone stops eating you what the horror in 
effies voice confirms my worse suspicions 
i shot an arrow at them not exactly at them in their 
direction its like peeta said i was shooting and they 
were ignoring me and i just  i just lost my head so i 
shot an apple out of their stupid roast pigs mouth i 
say defiantly 
and what did they say says cinna carefully 
nothing or i dont know i walked out after that i 
say 
without being dismissed gasps effie 
i dismissed myself i said i remember how i 
promised prim that i really would try to win and i feel 
like a ton of coal has dropped on me 
well thats thatsays haymitch then he butters a 
roll 
do you think they 11 arrest me i ask doubt it be a 
pain to replace you at this stage says haymitch 
what about my familyisay will they punish 
them 
dont think so wouldnt make much sense see 
theyd have to reveal what happened in the training 
center for it to have any worthwhile effect on the 
population people would need to know what you did 
but they cant since its secret so itd be a waste of 
effort says haymitch more likely theyll make your 
life hell in the arena 
well theyve already promised to do that to us any 
way says peeta 
 
very true says haymitch and i realize the 
impossible has happened they have actually cheered 
me up haymitch picks up a pork chop with his 
fingers which makes effie frown and dunks it in his 
wine he rips off a hunk of meat and starts to 
chuckle what were their faces like 
i can feel the edges of my mouth tilting up shocked 
terrified uh ridiculous some of them an image 
pops into my mind one man tripped backward into 
a bowl of punch 
haymitch guffaws and we all start laughing except 
effie although even she is suppressing a smile well 
it serves them right its their job to pay attention to 
you and just because you come from district twelve 
is no excuse to ignore you then her eyes dart 
around as if shes said something totally 
outrageous im sorry but thats what i think she 
says to no one in particular 
ill get a very bad score i say 
scores only matter if theyre very good no one pays 
much attention to the bad or mediocre ones for all 
they know you could be hiding your talents to get a 
low score on purpose people use that strategy said 
portia 
i hope thats how people interpret the four ill 
probably get says peeta if that really is anything 
less impressive than watching a person pick up a 
heavy ball and throw it a couple of yards one almost 
landed on my foot 
i grin at him and realize that im starving i cut off a 
piece of pork dunk it in mashed potatoes and start 
eating its okay my family is safe and if they are 
safe no real harm has been done 
 
after dinner we go to sitting room to watch the scores 
announced on television first they show a photo of 
the tribute then flash their score below it the career 
tributes naturally get in the eighttoten range most 
of the other players average a five surprisingly little 
rue comes up with a seven i dont know what she 
showed the judges but shes so tiny it must have 
been impressive 
district 12 comes up last as usual peeta pulls an 
eight so at least a couple of the gamemakers must 
have been watching him i dig my fingernails into my 
palms as my face comes up expecting the worst 
then theyre flashing the number eleven on the 
screen 
eleven 
effie trinket lets out a squeal and everybody is 
slapping me on the back and cheering and 
congratulating me but it doesnt seem real 
there must be a mistake how  how could that 
happen i ask haymitch 
guess they liked your temper he says theyve got 
a show to put on they need some players with some 
heat 
katniss the girl who was on fire says cinna and 
gives me a hug oh wait until you see your interview 
dress more flames i ask of a sort he says 
mischievously 
peeta and i congratulate each other another awkward 
moment weve both done well but what does that 
mean for the other i escape to my room as quickly as 
possible and burrow down under the covers the 
stress of the day particularly the crying has worn me 
 
out i drift off reprieved relieved and with the 
number eleven still flashing behind my eyelids 
at dawn i lie in bed for a while watching the sun 
come up on a beautiful morning its sunday a day 
off at home i wonder if gale is in the woods yet 
usually we devote all of sunday to stocking up for the 
week rising early hunting and gathering then 
trading at the hob i think of gale without me both 
of us can hunt alone but were better as a pair 
particularly if were trying for bigger game but also in 
the littler things having a partner lightened the load 
could even make the arduous task of filling my 
familys table enjoyable 
i had been struggling along on my own for about six 
months when i first ran into gale in the woods it was 
a sunday in october the air cool and pungent with 
dying things id spent the morning competing with 
the squirrels for nuts and the slightly warmer 
afternoon wading in shallow ponds harvesting 
katniss the only meat id shot was a squirrel that 
had practically run over my toes in its quest for 
acorns but the animals would still be afoot when the 
snow buried my other food sources having strayed 
farther afield than usual i was hurrying back home 
lugging my burlap sacks when i came across a dead 
rabbit it was hanging by its neck in a thin wire a foot 
above my head about fifteen yards away was 
another i recognized the twitchup snares because 
my father had used them when the prey is caught 
its yanked into the air out of the reach of other 
hungry animals id been trying to use snares all 
summer with no success so i couldnt help dropping 
my sacks to examine this one my fingers were just on 
the wire above one of the rabbits when a voice rang 
out thats dangerous 
 
i jumped back several feet as gale materialized from 
behind a tree he must have been watching me the 
whole time he was only fourteen but he cleared six 
feet and was as good as an adult to me id seen him 
around the seam and at school and one other time 
hed lost his father in the same blast that killed mine 
in january id stood by while he received his medal 
of valor in the justice building another oldest child 
with no father i remembered his two little brothers 
clutching his mother a woman whose swollen belly 
announced she was just days away from giving birth 
whats your name he said coming over and 
disengaging the rabbit from the snare he had 
another three hanging from his belt 
katniss i said barely audible 
well catnip stealings punishable by death or 
hadnt you heard he said 
katniss i said louder and i wasnt stealing it i 
just wanted to look at your snare mine never catch 
anything 
he scowled at me not convinced so whered you get 
the squirrel 
i shot it i pulled my bow off my shoulder i was still 
using the small version my father had made me but 
id been practicing with the fullsize one when i could 
i was hoping that by spring i might be able to bring 
down some bigger game 
gales eyes fastened on the bow can i see that i 
handed it over just remember stealings punishable 
by death 
 
that was the first time i ever saw him smile it 
transformed him from someone menacing to someone 
you wished you knew but it took several months 
before i returned that smile 
we talked hunting then i told him i might be able to 
get him a bow if he had something to trade not food 
i wanted knowledge i wanted to set my own snares 
that caught a belt of fat rabbits in one day he agreed 
something might be worked out as the seasons went 
by we grudgingly began to share our knowledge our 
weapons our secret places that were thick with wild 
plums or turkeys he taught me snares and fishing i 
showed him what plants to eat and eventually gave 
him one of our precious bows and then one day 
without either of us saying it we became a team 
dividing the work and the spoils making sure that 
both our families had food 
gale gave me a sense of securityldlacked since my 
fathers death his companionship replaced the long 
solitary hours in the woods i became a much better 
hunter when i didnt have to look over my shoulder 
constantly when someone was watching my back 
but he turned into so much more than a hunting 
partner he became my confidante someone with 
whom i could share thoughts i could never voice 
inside the fence in exchange he trusted me with his 
being out in the woods with gale    sometimes i was 
actually happy 
i call him my friend but in the last year its seemed 
too casual a word for what gale is to me a pang of 
longing shoots through my chest if only he was with 
me now but of course i dont want that i dont want 
him in the arena where hed be dead in a few days i 
just  i just miss him and i hate being so alone 
does he miss me he must 
 
i think of the eleven flashing under my name last 
night i know exactly what hed say to me well 
theres some room for improvement there and then 
hed give me a smile and id return it without 
hesitating now 
i cant help comparing what i have with gale to what 
im pretending to have with peeta how i never 
question gales motives while i do nothing but doubt 
the latters its not a fair comparison really gale and 
i were thrown together by a mutual need to survive 
peeta and i know the others survival means our own 
death how do you sidestep that 
effies knocking at the door reminding me theres 
another big big big day ahead tomorrow night 
will be our televised interviews i guess the whole 
team will have their hands full readying us for that 
i get up and take a quick shower being a bit more 
careful about the buttons i hit and head down to the 
dining room peeta effie and haymitch are huddled 
around the table talking in hushed voices that 
seems odd but hunger wins out over curiosity and i 
load up my plate with breakfast before i join them 
the stews made with tender chunks of lamb and 
dried plums today perfect on the bed of wild rice ive 
shoveled about halfway through the mound when i 
realize no ones talking i take a big gulp of orange 
juice and wipe my mouth so whats going on 
youre coaching us on interviews today right 
thats right says haymitch 
you dont have to wait until im done i can listen 
and cat at the same time i say 
 
well theres been a change of plans about our 
current approach says haymitch 
whats that i ask im not sure what our current 
approach is trying to appear mediocre in front of the 
other tributes is the last bit of strategy i remember 
haymitch shrugs peeta has asked to be coached 
separately 
 
betrayal thats the first thing i feel which is 
ludicrous for there to be betrayal there would have 
had to been trust first between peeta and me and 
trust has not been part of the agreement were 
tributes but the boy who risked a beating to give me 
bread the one who steadied me in the chariot who 
covered for me with the redheaded avox girl who 
insisted haymitch know my hunting skills    was 
there some part of me that couldnt help trusting 
him 
on the other hand im relieved that we can stop the 
pretense of being friends obviously whatever thin 
connection wed foolishly formed has been severed 
and high time too the games begin in two days and 
trust will only be a weakness whatever triggered 
peetas decision — and i suspect it had to do with my 
outperforming him in training — i should be nothing 
but grateful for it maybe hes finally accepted the fact 
that the sooner we openly acknowledge that we are 
enemies the better 
good i say so whats the schedule 
youll each have four hours with effie for 
presentation and four with me for content says 
haymitch you start with effie katniss 
i cant imagine what effie will have to teach me that 
could take four hours but shes got me working down 
to the last minute we go to my rooms and she puts 
me inafulllength gown and highheeled shoes not 
the ones ill he wearing for the actual interview and 
instructs me on walking the shoes are the worst 
 
part ive never worn high heels and cant get used to 
essentially wobbling around on the balls of my feet 
but effie runs around in them fulltime and im 
determined that if she can do it so can i the dress 
poses another problem it keeps tangling around my 
shoes so of course i hitch it up and then effie 
swoops down on me like a hawk smacking my hands 
and yelling not above the ankle when i finally 
conquer walking theres still sitting posture — 
apparently i have a tendency to duck my head — eye 
contact hand gestures and smiling smiling is 
mostly about smiling more effie makes me say a 
hundred banal phrases starting with a smile while 
smiling or ending with a smile by lunch the 
muscles in my cheeks are twitching from overuse 
well thats the best i can do effie says with a sigh 
just remember katniss you want the audience to 
like you 
and you dont think they will i ask 
not if you glare at them the entire time why dont 
you save that for the arena instead think of yourself 
among friends says effie 
theyre betting on how long ill live i burst 
out theyre not my friends 
well try and pretend snaps effie then she 
composes herself and beams at me see like this im 
smiling at you even though youre aggravating me 
yes it feels very convincing i say im going to eat 
1 kick off my heels and stomp down to the dining 
room hiking my skirt up to my thighs 
peeta and haymitch seem in pretty good moods so 
im thinking the content session should be an 
 
improvement over the morning i couldnt be more 
wrong after lunch haymitch takes me into the 
sitting room directs me to the couch and then just 
frowns at me for a while 
what i finally ask 
im trying to figure out what to do with you he 
says how were going to present you are you going 
to be charming aloof fierce so far youre shining 
like a star you volunteered to save your sister cinna 
made you look unforgettable youve got the top 
training score people are intrigued but no one knows 
who you are the impression you make tomorrow will 
decide exactly what i can get you in terms of 
sponsors says haymitch 
having watched the tribute interviews all my life i 
know theres truth to what hes saying if you appeal 
to the crowd either by being humorous or brutal or 
eccentric you gain favor 
whats peetas approach or am i not allowed to 
ask i say 
likable he has a sort of selfdeprecating humor 
naturally says haymitch whereas when you open 
your mouth you come across more as sullen and 
hostile 
i do not i say 
please i dont know where you pulled that cheery 
wavy girl on the chariot from but i havent seen her 
before or since says haymitch 
and youve given me so many reasons to be cheery i 
counter 
ill  p a g e 
but you dont have to please me im not going to 
sponsor you so pretend im the audience says 
haymitch delight me 
fine i snarl haymitch takes the role of the 
interviewer and i try to answer his questions in a 
winning fashion but i cant im too angry with 
haymitch for what he said and that i even have to 
answer the questions all i can think is how unjust 
the whole thing is the hunger games why am i 
hopping around like some trained dog trying to please 
people i hate the longer the interview goes on the 
more my fury seems to rise to the surface until im 
literally spitting out answers at him 
all right enough he says weve got to find another 
angle not only are you hostile i dont know anything 
about you ive 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 dont want them to theyre already taking my 
future they cant have the things that mattered to 
me in the past i say 
then lie make something up says haymitch 
im not good at lying i say 
well you better learn fast youve got about as much 
charm as a dead slug says haymitch 
ouch that hurts even haymitch must know hes 
been too harsh because his voice softens heres an 
idea try acting humble 
humble i echo 
 
that you cant believe a little girl from district twelve 
has done this well the whole things been more than 
you ever could have dreamed of talk about cinnas 
clothes how nice the people are how the city amazes 
you if you wont talk about yourself at least 
compliment the audience just keep turning it back 
around all right gush 
the next hours are agonizing at once its clear i 
cannot gush we try me playing cocky but i just dont 
have the arrogance apparently im too vulnerable 
for ferocity im not witty funny sexy or 
mysterious 
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 
i have dinner that night in my room ordering an 
outrageous number of delicacies eating myself sick 
and then taking out my anger at haymitch at the 
hunger games at every living being in the capitol by 
smashing dishes around my room when the girl with 
the red hair comes in to turn down my bed her eyes 
widen at the mess just leave it i yell at her just 
leave it alone 
i hate her too with her knowing reproachful eyes 
that call me a coward a monster a puppet of the 
capitol both now and then for her justice must 
finally be happening at least my death will help pay 
for the life of the boy in the woods 
but instead of fleeing the room the girl closes the 
door behind her and goes to the bathroom she comes 
back with a damp cloth and wipes my face gently 
 
then cleans the blood from a broken plate off my 
hands why is she doing this why am i letting her 
i should have tried to save you i whisper 
she shakes her head does this mean we were right to 
stand by that she has forgiven me 
no it was wrong i say 
she taps her lips with her fingers then points to my 
chest i think she means that i would just have ended 
up an avox too probably would have an avox or 
dead 
i spend the next hour helping the redheaded girl 
clean the room when all the garbage has been 
dropped down a disposal and the food cleaned away 
she turns down my bed i crawl in between the sheets 
like a fiveyearold and let her tuck me in then she 
goes i want her to stay until i fall asleep to be there 
when i wake up i want the protection of this girl 
even though she never had mine 
in the morning its not the girl but my prep team who 
are hanging over me my lessons with effie and 
haymitch are over this day belongs to cinna hes 
my last hope maybe he can make me look so 
wonderful no one will care what comes out of my 
mouth 
the team works on me until late afternoon turning 
my skin to glowing satin stenciling patterns on my 
arms painting flame designs on my twenty perfect 
nails then venia goes to work on my hair weaving 
strands of red into a pattern that begins at my left 
ear wraps around my head and then falls in one 
braid down my right shoulder they erase my face 
with a layer of pale makeup and draw my features 
 
back out huge dark eyes full red lips lashes that 
throw off bits of light when i blink finally they cover 
my entire body in a powder that makes me shimmer 
in gold dust 
then cinna enters with what i assume is my dress 
but i cant really see it because its covered close 
your eyes he orders 
i can feel the silken inside as they slip it down over 
my naked body then the weight it must be forty 
pounds i clutch octavias hand as i blindly step into 
my shoes glad to find they are at least two inches 
lower than the pair effie had me practice in theres 
some adjusting and fidgeting then silence 
can i open my eyes i ask 
yes says cinna open them 
the creature standing before me in the fulllength 
mirror has come from another world where skin 
shimmers and eyes flash and apparently they make 
their clothes from jewels because my dress oh my 
dress is entirely covered in reflective precious gems 
red and yellow and white with bits of blue that accent 
the tips of the flame design the slightest movement 
gives the impression i am engulfed in tongues of fire 
i am not pretty i am not beautiful i am as radiant as 
the sun 
for a while we all just stare at me oh cinna i 
finally whisper thank you 
twirl for me he says i hold out my arms and spin 
in a circle the prep team screams in admiration 
 
cinna dismisses the team and has me move around 
in the dress and shoes which are infinitely more 
manageable than effies the dress hangs in such a 
way that i dont have to lift the skirt when i walk 
leaving me with one less thing to worry about 
so all ready for the interview then asks cinna i 
can see by his expression that hes been talking to 
haymitch that he knows how dreadful i am 
im awful haymitch called me a dead slug no 
matter what we tried i couldnt do it i just cant be 
one of those people he wants me to be i say 
cinna thinks about this a moment why dont you 
just be yourself 
myself thats no good either haymitch says im 
sullen and hostile i say 
well you are  around haymitch says cinna with 
a grin i dont find you so the prep team adores you 
you even won over the gamemakers and as for the 
citizens of the capitol well they cant stop talking 
about you no one can help but admire your spirit 
my spirit this is a new thought im not sure exactly 
what it means but it suggests im a fighter in a sort 
of brave way its not as if im never friendly okay 
maybe i dont go around loving everybody i meet 
maybe my smiles are hard to come by but i do care 
for some people 
cinna takes my icy hands in his warm ones 
suppose when you answer the questions you think 
youre addressing a friend back home who would 
your best friend be asks cinna 
 
gale i say instantly only it doesnt make sense 
cinna i would never be telling gale those things 
about me he already knows them 
what about me could you think of me as a friend 
asks cinna 
of all the people ive met since i left home cinna is 
by far my favorite i liked him right off and he hasnt 
disappointed me yet i think so but —  
ill be sitting on the main platform with the other 
stylists youll be able to look right at me when 
youre asked a question find me and answer it as 
honestly as possible says cinna 
even if what i think is horrible i ask because it 
might be really 
especially if what you think is horrible says 
cinna youll try it 
i nod its a plan or at least a straw to grasp at 
too soon its time to go the interviews take place on 
a stage constructed in front of the training center 
once i leave my room it will be only minutes until im 
in front of the crowd the cameras all of panem 
as cinna turns the doorknob i stop his hand cinna 
 im completely overcome with stage fright 
remember they already love you he says gently 
just be yourself 
we meet up with the rest of the district 12 crowd at 
the elevator portia and her gang have been hard at 
work peeta looks striking in a black suit with flame 
accents while we look well together its a relief not to 
 
be dressed identically haymitch and effie are all 
fancied up for the occasion i avoid haymitch but 
accept effie s compliments effie can be tiresome and 
clueless but shes not destructive like haymitch 
when the elevator opens the other tributes are being 
lined up to take the stage all twentyfour of us sit in 
a big arc throughout the interviews ill be last or 
second to last since the girl tribute precedes the boy 
from each district how i wish i could be first and get 
the whole thing out of the way now 111 have to listen 
to how witty funny humble fierce and charming 
everybody else is before i go up plus the audience 
will start to get bored just as the gamemakers did 
and i cant exactly shoot an arrow into the crowd to 
get their attention 
right before we parade onto the stage haymitch 
comes up behind peeta and me and growls 
remember youre still a happy pair so act like it 
what i thought we abandoned that when peeta 
asked for separate coaching but i guess that was a 
private not a public thing anyway theres not much 
chance for interaction now as we walk singlefile to 
our seats and take our places 
just stepping on the stage makes my breathing rapid 
and shallow i can feel my pulse pounding in my 
temples its a relief to get to my chair because 
between the heels and my legs shaking im afraid ill 
trip although evening is falling the city circle is 
brighter than a summers day an elevated seating 
unit has been set up for prestigious guests with the 
stylists commanding the front row the cameras will 
turn to them when the crowd is reacting to their 
handiwork a large balcony off a building to the right 
has been reserved for the gamemakers television 
crews have claimed most of the other balconies but 
 
the city circle and the avenues that feed into it are 
completely packed with people standing room only 
at homes and community halls around the country 
every television set is turned on every citizen of 
panem is tuned in there will be no blackouts tonight 
caesar flickerman the man who has hosted the 
interviews for more than forty years bounces onto the 
stage its a little scary because his appearance has 
been virtually unchanged during all that time same 
face under a coating of pure white makeup same 
hairstyle that he dyes a different color for each 
hunger games same ceremonial suit midnight blue 
dotted with a thousand tiny electric bulbs that 
twinkle like stars they do surgery in the capitol to 
make people appear younger and thinner 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 arent scraping by like the majority of 
us but here it is different wrinkles arent desirable 
a round belly isnt a sign of success 
this year caesars hair is powder blue and his 
eyelids and lips are coated in the same hue he looks 
freakish but less frightening than he did last year 
when his color was crimson and he seemed to be 
bleeding caesar tells a few jokes to warm up the 
audience but then gets down to business 
the girl tribute from district 1  looking provocative in 
a seethrough gold gown steps up the center of the 
stage to join caesar for her interview you can tell her 
mentor didnt have any trouble coming up with an 
angle for her with that flowing blonde hair emerald 
green eyes her body tall and lush  shes sexy all the 
way 
 
each interview only lasts three minutes then a 
buzzer goes off and the next tribute is up ill say this 
for caesar he really does his best to make the 
tributes shine hes friendly tries to set the nervous 
ones at ease laughs at lame jokes and can turn a 
weak response into a memorable one by the way he 
reacts 
i sit like a lady the way effie showed me as the 
districts slip by 2 3 4 everyone seems to be playing 
up some angle the monstrous boy from district 2 is 
a ruthless killing machine the foxfaced girl from 
district 5 sly and elusive i spotted cinna as soon as 
he took his place but even his presence cannot relax 
me 8 9 10 the crippled boy from 10 is very quiet 
my palms are sweating like crazy but the jeweled 
dress isnt absorbent and they skid right of if i try to 
dry them 1 1  
rue who is dressed in a gossamer gown complete 
with wings flutters her way to caesar a hush falls 
over the crowd at the sight of this magical wisp of a 
tribute caesars very sweet with her complimenting 
her seven in training an excellent score for one so 
small when he asks her what her greatest strength 
in the arena will be she doesnt hesitate im very 
hard to catch she says in a tremulous voice and if 
they cant catch me they cant kill me so dont count 
me out 
i wouldnt in a million years says caesar 
encouragingly 
the boy tribute from district 1 1  thresh has the 
same dark skin as rue but the resemblance stops 
there hes one of the giants probably six and a half 
feet tall and built like an ox but i noticed he rejected 
the invitations from the career tributes to join their 
crowd instead hes been very solitary speaking to no 
 
one showing little interest in training even so he 
scored a ten and its not hard to imagine he 
impressed the gamemakers he ignores caesars 
attempts at banter and answers with a yes or no or 
just remains silent 
if only i was his size i could get away with sullen and 
hostile and it would be just fine i bet half the 
sponsors are at least considering him if i had any 
money id bet on him myself 
and then theyre calling katniss everdeen and i feel 
myself as if in a dream standing and making my way 
center stage i shake caesars outstretched hand and 
he has the good grace not to immediately wipe his off 
on his suit 
so katniss the capitol must be quite a change from 
district twelve whats impressed you most since you 
arrived hereasks caesar 
what what did he say its as if the words make no 
sense 
my mouth has gone as dry as sawdust i desperately 
find cinna in the crowd and lock eyes with him i 
imagine the words coming from his lips whats 
impressed you most since you arrived here i rack 
my brain for something that made me happy here be 
honest i think be honest 
the lamb stew i get out 
caesar laughs and vaguely i realize some of the 
audience has joined in 
the one with the dried plums asks caesar i nod 
oh i eat it by the bucketful he turns sideways to 
the audience in horror hand on his stomach it 
 
doesnt show does it they shout reassurances to 
him and applaud this is what i mean about caesar 
he tries to help you out 
now katniss he says confidentially when you 
came out in the opening ceremonies my heart 
actually stopped what did you think of that 
costume 
cinna raises one eyebrow at me be honest you 
mean after i got over my fear of being burned alive i 
ask 
big laugh a real one from the audience 
yes start then says caesar 
cinna my friend i should tellhimanywayi thought 
cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous 
costume id ever seen and i couldnt believe i was 
wearing it i cant believe im wearing this either i 
lift up my skirt to spread it out i mean look at it 
as the audience oohs and ahs i see cinna make the 
tiniest circular motion with his finger but i know 
what hes saying twirl for me 
i spin in a circle once and the reaction is immediate 
oh do that again says caesar and so i lift up my 
arms and spin around and around letting the skirt fly 
out letting the dress engulf me in flames the 
audience breaks into cheers when i stop i clutch 
caesars arm 
dont stop he says 
 
i have to im dizzy im also giggling which i think 
ive done maybe never in my lifetime but the nerves 
and the spinning have gotten to me 
caesar wraps a protective arm around me dont 
worry ive got you cant have you following in your 
mentors footsteps 
everyones hooting as the cameras find haymitch 
who is by now famous for his head dive at the 
reaping and he waves them away goodnaturedly and 
points back to me 
its all right caesar reassures the crowd shes safe 
with me so how about that training score eleven 
give us a hint what happened in there 
i glance at the gamemakers on the balcony and bite 
my lip um  all i can say is i think it was a first 
the cameras are right on the gamemakers who are 
chuckling and nodding 
youre killing us says caesar as if in actual 
pain details details 
i address the balcony im not supposed to talk about 
it right 
the gamemaker who fell in the punch bowl shouts 
outshes not 
thank you i say sorry my lips are sealed 
lets go back then to the moment they called your 
sisters name at the reaping says caesar his mood 
is quieter now and you volunteered can you tell us 
about her 
 
no no not all of you but maybe cinna i dont think 
im imagining the sadness on his face her names 
prim shes just twelve and i love her more than 
anything 
you could hear a pin drop in the city circle now 
what did she say to you after the reaping caesar 
asks 
be honest be honest i swallow hard she asked me 
to try really hard to win the audience is frozen 
hanging on my every word 
and what did you say prompts caesar gently 
but instead of warmth i feel an icy rigidity take over 
my body my muscles tense as they do before a kill 
when i speak my voice seems to have dropped an 
octave i swore i would 
i bet you did says caesar giving me a squeeze the 
buzzer goes off sorry were out of time best of luck 
katniss everdeen tribute from district twelve 
the applause continues long after im seated i look to 
cinna for reassurance he gives me a subtle thumbs 
up 
im still in a daze for the first part of peetas interview 
he has the audience from the getgo though i can 
hear them laughing shouting out he plays up the 
bakers son thing comparing the tributes to the 
breads from their districts then has a funny 
anecdote about the perils of the capitol showers tell 
me do i still smell like roses he asks caesar and 
then theres a whole run where they take turns 
sniffing each other that brings down the house im 
 
coming back into focus when caesar asks him if he 
has a girlfriend back home 
peeta hesitates then gives an unconvincing shake of 
his head 
handsome lad like you there must be some special 
girl come on whats her name says caesar 
peeta sighs well there is this one girl ive had a 
crush on her ever since i can remember but im 
pretty sure she didnt know i was alive until the 
reaping 
sounds of sympathy from the crowd unrequited love 
they can relate to 
she have another fellow asks caesar 
i dont know but a lot of boys like her says peeta 
so heres what you do you win you go home she 
cant turn you down then eh says caesar 
encouragingly 
i dont think its going to work out winning wont 
help in my case says peeta 
why ever not says caesar mystified 
peeta blushes beet red and stammersout because 
because she came here with me 
 
parti 
the games 
 
10 
for a moment the cameras hold on peetas downcast 
eyes as what he says sinks in then i can see my face 
mouth half open in a mix of surprise and protest 
magnified on every screen as i realize me he means 
me i press my lips together and stare at the floor 
hoping this will conceal the emotions starting to boil 
up inside of me 
oh that is a piece of bad luck says caesar and 
theres a real edge of pain in his voice the crowd is 
murmuring in agreement a few have even given 
agonized cries 
its not good agrees peeta 
well i dont think any of us can blame you itd be 
hard not to fall for that young lady says caesar 
she didnt know 
peeta shakes his head not until now 
i allow my eyes to flicker up to the screen long 
enough to see that the blush on my cheeks is 
unmistakable 
wouldnt you love to pull her back out here and get a 
response caesar asks the audience the crowd 
screams assent sadly rules are rules and katniss 
everdeens time has been spent well best of luck to 
you peeta mellark and i think i speak for all of 
panem when i say our hearts go with yours 
the roar of the crowdis deafening peeta has 
absolutely wiped the rest of us off the map with his 
 
declaration of love for me when the audience finally 
settles down he chokes out a quiet thank you and 
returns to his seat we stand for the anthem i have 
to raise my head out of the required respect and 
cannot avoid seeing that every screen is now 
dominated by a shot of peeta and me separated by a 
few feet that in the viewers heads can never be 
breached poor tragic us 
but i know better 
after the anthem the tributes file back into the 
training center lobby and onto the elevators i make 
sure to veer into a car that does not contain peeta 
the crowd slows our entourages of stylists and 
mentors and chaperones so we have only each other 
for company no one speaks my elevator stops to 
deposit four tributes before i am alone and then find 
the doors opening on the twelfth floor peeta has only 
just stepped from his car when i slam my palms into 
his chest he loses his balance and crashes into an 
ugly urn filled with fake flowers the urn tips and 
shatters into hundreds of tiny pieces peeta lands in 
the shards and blood immediately flows from his 
hands 
what was that for he says aghast 
you had no right no right to go saying those things 
about me i shout at him 
now the elevators open and the whole crew is there 
effie haymitch cinna and portia 
whats going on says effie a note of hysteria in her 
voice did you fall 
after she shoved me says peeta aseffie and cinna 
help him up 
 
haymitch turns on me shoved him 
this was your idea wasnt it turning me into some 
kind of fool in front of the entire country i answer 
it was my idea says peeta wincing as he pulls 
spikes of pottery from his palms haymitch just 
helped me with it 
yes haymitch is very helpful to you i say 
you are a fool haymitch says in disgust do you 
think he hurt you that boy just gave you something 
you could never achieve on your own 
he made me look weak i say 
he made you look desirable and lets face it you can 
use all the help you can get in that department you 
were about as romantic as dirt until he said he 
wanted you now they all do youre all theyre talking 
about the starcrossed lovers from district twelve 
says haymitch 
but were not starcrossed lovers i say 
haymitch grabs my shoulders and pins me against 
the wall who cares its all a big show its all how 
youre perceived the most i could say about you after 
your interview was that you were nice enough 
although that in itself was a small miracle now i can 
say youre a heartbreaker oh oh oh how the boys 
back home fall longingly at your feet which do you 
think will get you more sponsors 
the smell of wine on his breath makes me sick i 
shove his hands off my shoulders and step away 
trying to clear my head 
 
cinna comes over and puts his arm around me hes 
right katniss 
i dont know what to think i should have been told 
so i didnt look so stupid 
no your reaction was perfect if youd known it 
wouldnt have read as real says portia 
shes just worried about her boyfriend says peeta 
gruffly tossing away a bloody piece of the urn 
my cheeks burn again at the thought of gale i dont 
have a boyfriend 
whatever says peeta but i bet hes smart enough 
to know a bluff when he sees it besides you didnt 
say you loved me so what does it matter 
the words are sinking in my anger fading im torn 
now between thinking ive been used and thinking ive 
been given an edge haymitch is right i survived my 
interview but what was i really a silly girl spinning 
in a sparkling dress giggling the only moment of 
any substance i hail was when i talked about prim 
compare that with thresh his silent deadly power 
and im forgettable silly and sparkly and forgettable 
no not entirely forgettable i have my eleven in 
training 
but now peeta has made me an object of love not 
just his to hear him tell it i have many admirers 
and iftheaudience really thinks were in love  i 
remember howstrongly they responded to his 
confession starcrossed lovers haymitch is right 
they eat that stuff up in the capitol suddenly im 
worried that i didnt react properly 
 
after he said he loved me did you thinkl could be in 
love with him too i ask 
i did says portia the way you avoidedlooking at 
the cameras the blush 
they others chime in agreeing 
youre golden sweetheart youre going to have 
sponsors lined up around the block says haymitch 
im embarrassed about my reaction i force myself to 
acknowledge peeta im sorry i shoved you 
doesnt matter he shrugs although its technically 
illegal 
are your hands okay i ask theyh be all right he 
says 
in the silence that follows delicious smells of our 
dinner waft in from the dining room come on lets 
eat says haymitch we all follow him to the table 
and take our places but then peeta is bleeding too 
heavily and portia leads him off for medical 
treatment we start the cream and rosepetal soup 
without them by the time weve finished theyre 
back peetas hands are wrapped in bandages i cant 
help feeling guilty tomorrow we will be in the arena 
he has done me a favor and i have answered with an 
injury will i never stop owing him 
after dinner we watch the replay in the sitting room 
i seem frilly and shallow twirling and giggling in my 
dress although the others assure me i am charming 
peeta actually is charming and then utterly winning 
as the boy in loveandthere i am blushing and 
confused madebeautiful by cinnas hands desirable 
 
by peetas confession tragic by circumstance and by 
all accounts unforgettable 
when the anthem finishes and the screen goes dark 
a hush falls on the room tomorrow at dawn we will 
be roused and prepared for the arena the actual 
games dont start until ten because so many of the 
capitol residents rise late but peeta and i must make 
an early start there is no telling how far we will 
travel to the arena that has been prepared for this 
years games 
i know haymitch and effie will not be going with us 
as soon as they leave here theyll be at the games 
headquarters hopefully madly signing up our 
sponsors working out a strategy on how and when to 
deliver the gifts to us cinna and portia will travel 
with us to the very spot from which we will be 
launched into the arena still final goodbyes must be 
said here 
effie takes both of us by the hand and with actual 
tears in her eyes wishes us well thanks us for being 
the best tributes it has ever been her privilege to 
sponsor and then because its effie and shes 
apparently required by law to say something awful 
she adds i wouldnt be at all surprised if i finally get 
promoted to a decent district next year 
then she kisses us each on the cheek and hurries 
out overcome with either the emotional parting or the 
possible improvement of her fortunes 
haymitch crosses his arms and looks us both over 
any final words of advice asks peeta 
when the gong sounds get the hell out of there 
youre neither of you up to the blood bath at the 
 
cornucopia just clear out put as much distance as 
you can between yourselves and the others and find 
a source of water he says got it 
and after that i ask 
stay alive says haymitch its the same advice he 
gave us on the train but hes not drunk and laughing 
this time and we only nod what else is there to say 
when i head to my room peeta lingers to talk to 
portia im glad whatever strange words of parting we 
exchange can wait until tomorrow my covers are 
drawn back but there is no sign of the redheaded 
avox girl i wish i knew her name i should have 
asked it she could write it down maybe or act it out 
but perhaps that would only result in punishment for 
her 
i take a shower and scrub the gold paint the 
makeup the scent of beauty from my body all that 
remains of the designteams efforts are the flames on 
my nails i decide to keep them as reminder of who i 
am to the audience katniss the girl who was on fire 
perhaps it will give me something to hold on to in the 
days to come 
i pull on a thick fleecy nightgown and climb into bed 
it takes me about five seconds to realize ill never fall 
asleep and i need sleep desperately because in the 
arena every moment i give in to fatigue will be an 
invitation to death 
its no good one hour two three pass and my 
eyelids refuse to get heavy i cant stop trying to 
imagine exactly what terrain ill be thrown into 
desert swamp a frigid wasteland above all i am 
hoping for trees which may afford me some means of 
concealment and food and shelter often there are 
 
trees because barren landscapes are dull and the 
games resolve too quickly without them but what 
will the climate be like what traps have the 
gamemakers hid den to liven up the slower 
moments and then there are my fellow tributes    
the more anxious i am to find sleep the more it 
eludes me finally i am too restless to even stay in 
bed i pace the floor heart beating too fast breathing 
too short my room feels like a prison cell if i dont 
get air soon im going to start to throw things again i 
run down the hall to the door to the roof its not only 
unlocked but ajar perhaps someone forgot to close it 
but it doesnt matter the energy field enclosing the 
roof prevents any desperate form of escape and im 
not looking to escape only to fill my lungs with air i 
want to see the sky and the moon on the last night 
that no one will be hunting me 
the roof is not lit at night but as soon as my bare feel 
reach its tiled surface i see his silhouette black 
against the lights that shine endlessly in the capitol 
theres quite a commotion going on down in the 
streets music and singing and car horns none of 
which i could hear through the thick glass window 
panels in my room i could slip away now without 
him noticing me he wouldnt hear me over the din 
but the night airs so sweet i cant bear returning to 
that stuffy cage of a room and what difference does it 
make whether we speak or not 
my feet move soundlessly across the tiles im only 
yard behind him when i say you should be getting 
some sleep 
he starts but doesnt turn i can see him give his 
head a slight shake i didnt want to miss the party 
its for us after all 
 
i come up beside him and lean over the edge of the 
rail the wide streets are full of dancing people i 
squint to make out their tiny figures in more detail 
are they in costumes 
who could tell peeta answers with all the crazy 
clothes they wear here couldnt sleep either 
couldnt turn my mind off i say 
thinking about your family he asks 
no i admit a bit guiltily all i can do is wonder 
about tomorrow which is pointless of course in the 
light from below i can see his face now the awkward 
way he holds his bandaged hands i really am sorry 
about your hands 
it doesnt matter katniss he says ive never been 
a contender in these games anyway 
thats no way to be thinking i say 
why not its true my best hope is to not disgrace 
myself and  he hesitates 
and what i say 
i dont 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 dont want them to change me in there 
turn me into some kind of monster that im not 
i bite my lip feeling inferior while ive been 
ruminating on the availability of trees peeta has been 
struggling with how to maintain his identity his 
purity of self do you mean you wont kill anyone i 
ask 
 
no when the time comes im sure ill kill just like 
everybody else i cant go down without a fight only i 
keep wishing i could think of a way to  to show the 
capitol they dont own me that im more than just a 
piece in their games says peeta 
but youre not i say none of us are thats how 
the games work 
okay but within that framework theres still you 
theres still me he insists dont you see 
a little only  no offense but who cares peetai 
say 
i do i mean what else am i allowed to care about at 
this point he asks angrily hes locked those blue 
eyes on mine now demanding an answer 
i take a step back care about what haymitch said 
about staying alive 
peeta smiles at me sad and mocking okay thanks 
for the tip sweetheart 
its like a slap in the face his use of haymitchs 
patronizing endearment look if you want to spend 
the last hours of your life planning some noble death 
in the arena thats your choice i want to spend mine 
in district twelve 
wouldnt surprise me if you do says peeta give 
my mother my best when you make it back will you 
count on it i say then i turn and leave the roof i 
spend the rest of the night slipping in and out of a 
doze imagining the cutting remarks i will make to 
peeta mellark in the morning peeta mellark we will 
see how high and mighty he is when hes faced with 
 
life and death hell probably turn into one of those 
raging beast tributes the kind who tries to eat 
someones heart after theyve killed them there was a 
guy like that a few years ago from district 6 called 
titus he went completely savage and the 
gamemakers had to have him stunned with electric 
guns to collect the bodies of the players hed killed 
before he ate them there are no rules in the arena 
but cannibalism doesnt play well with the capitol 
audience so they tried to head it off there was some 
speculation that the avalanche that finally took titus 
out was specifically engineered to ensure the victor 
was not a lunatic 
i dont see peeta in the morning cinna comes to me 
before dawn gives me a simple shift to wear and 
guides me to the roof my final dressing and 
preparations will be alone in the catacombs under the 
arena itself a hovercraft appears out of thin air just 
like the one did in the woods the day i saw the 
redheaded avox girl captured and a ladder drops 
down i place my hands and feet on the lower rungs 
and instantly its as if im frozen some sort of current 
glues me to the ladder while im lifted safely inside 
i expect the ladder to release me then but im still 
stuck when a woman in a white coat approaches me 
carrying a syringe this is just your tracker katniss 
the stiller you are the more efficiently i can place it 
she says 
still im a statue but that doesnt prevent me from 
feeling the sharp stab of pain as the needle inserts 
the metal tracking device deep under the skin on the 
inside of my forearm now the gamemakers will 
always be able to trace my whereabouts in the arena 
wouldnt want to lose a tribute 
 
as soon as the trackers in place the ladder releases 
me the woman disappears and cinna is retrieved 
from the roof an avox boy comes in and directs us to 
a room where breakfast has been laid out despite the 
tension in my stomachieat as much as i can 
although none of the delectable food makes any 
impression on me im so nervous i could be eating 
coal dust the one thing that distracts me at all is the 
view from the windows as we sail over the city and 
then to the wilderness beyond this is what birds see 
only theyre free and safe the very opposite of me 
the ride lasts about half an hour before the windows 
black out suggesting that were nearing the arena 
the hovercraft lands and cinna and i go back to the 
ladder only this time it leads down into a tube 
underground into the catacombs that lie beneath the 
arena we follow instructions to my destination a 
chamber for my preparation in the capitol they call 
it the launch room in the districts its referred to as 
the stockyard the place animals go before slaughter 
everything is brandnew i will be the first and only 
tribute to use this launch room the arenas are 
historic sites preserved after the games popular 
destinations for capitol residents to visit to vacation 
go for a month rewatch the games tour the 
catacombs visit the sites where the deaths took 
place you can even take part in reenactments they 
say the food is excellent 
i struggle to keep my breakfast down as i shower and 
clean my teeth cinna does my hair in my simple 
trademark braid down my back then the clothes 
arrive the same for every tribute cinna has had no 
say in my outfit does not even know what will be in 
the package but he helps me dress in the 
undergarments simple tawny pants light green 
blouse sturdy brown belt and thin hooded black 
 
jacket that falls to my thighs the material in the 
jackets designed to reflect body heat expect some 
cool nights he says 
the boots worn over skintight socks are better than i 
could have hoped for soft leather not unlike my ones 
at home these have a narrow flexible rubber sole 
with treads though good for running 
i think im finished when cinna pulls the gold 
mockingj ay pin from his pocket i had completely 
forgotten about it 
where did you get that i ask 
off the green outfit you wore on the train he says i 
remember now taking it off my mothers dress 
pinning it to the shirt its your district token right 
i nod and he fastens it on my shirt it barely cleared 
the review board some thought the pin could be used 
as a weapon giving you an unfair advantage but 
eventually they let it through says cinna they 
eliminated a ring from that district one girl though 
if you twisted the gemstone a spike popped out 
poisoned one she claimed she had no knowledge the 
ring transformed and there was no way to prove she 
did but she lost her token there youre all set move 
around make sure everything feels comfortable 
i walk run in a circle swing my arms about yes its 
fine fits perfectly 
then theres nothing to do but wait for the call says 
cinna unless you think you could eat any more 
i turn down food but accept a glass of water that i 
take tiny sips of as we wait on a couch i dont want 
to chew on my nails or lips so i find myself gnawing 
on the inside of my cheek it still hasnt fully healed 
 
from a few days ago soon the taste of blood fills my 
mouth 
nervousness seeps into terror as i anticipate what is 
to come i could be dead flatout dead in an hour 
not even my fingers obsessively trace the hard little 
lump on my forearm where the woman injected the 
tracking device i press on it even though it hurts i 
press on it so hard a small bruise begins to form 
do you want to talk katniss cinna asks 
i shake my head but after a moment hold out my 
hand to him cinna encloses it in both of his and 
this is how we sit until a pleasant female voice 
announces its time to prepare for launch 
still clenching one of cinnas hands i walk over and 
stand on the circular metal plate remember what 
haymitch said run find water the rest will follow 
he says i nod and remember this im not allowed to 
bet but if i could my money would be on you 
truly i whisper 
truly says cinna he leans down and kisses me on 
the forehead good luck girl on fire and then a 
glass cylinder is lowering around me breaking our 
handhold cutting him off from me he taps his 
fingers under his chin head high 
i lift my chin and stand as straight as i can the 
cylinder begins to rise for maybe fifteen seconds im 
in darkness and then i can feel the metal plate 
pushing me out of the cylinder into the open air for 
a moment my eyes are dazzled by the bright sunlight 
and im conscious only of a strong wind with the 
hopeful smell of pine trees 
 
then i hear the legendary announcer claudius 
templesmith as his voice booms all around me 
ladies and gentlemen let the seventyfourth hunger 
games begin 
 
sixty seconds thats how long were required to stand 
on our metal circles before the sound of a gong 
releases us step off before the minute is up and land 
mines blow your legs off sixty seconds to take in the 
ring of tributes all equidistant from the cornucopia a 
giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved 
tail the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high 
spilling over with the things that will give us life here 
in the arena food containers of water weapons 
medicine garments fire starters strewn around the 
cornucopia are other supplies their value decreasing 
the farther they are from the horn for instance only 
a few steps from my feet lays a threefoot square of 
plastic certainly it could be of some use in a 
downpour but there in the mouth i can see a tent 
pack that would protect from almost any sort of 
weather if i had the guts to go in and fight for it 
against the other twenty three tributes which i have 
been instructed not to do 
were on a flat open stretch of ground a plain of 
hardpacked dirt behind the tributes across from me 
i can see nothing indicating either a steep downward 
slope or even cliff to my right lies a lake to my left 
and back spars piney woods this is where haymitch 
would want me to go immediately 
i hear his instructions in my head just clear out 
put as much distance as you can between yourselves 
and the others and find a source of water 
but its tempting so tempting when i see the bounty 
waiting there before me and i know that if i dont get 
it someone else will that the career tributes who 
 
survive the bloodbath will divide up most of these life 
sustaining spoils something catches my eye there 
resting on a mound of blanket rolls is a silver sheath 
of arrows and a bow already strung just waiting to 
be engaged thats mine i thinkits meant for me 
im fast i can sprint faster than any of the girls in our 
school although a couple can beat me in distance 
races but this forty yard length this is what i am 
built for i know i can get it i know i can reach it 
first but then the question is how quickly can i get 
out of there by the time ive scrambled up the packs 
and grabbed the weapons others will have reached 
the horn and one or two i might be able to pick off 
but say theres a dozen at that close range they 
could take me down with the spears and the clubs or 
their own powerful fists 
still i wont be the only target im betting many of 
the other tributes would pass up a smaller girl even 
one who scored an eleven in training to take out their 
more fierce adversaries 
haymitch has never seen me run maybe if he had 
hed tell me to go for it get the weapon since thats 
the very weapon that might be my salvation and i 
only see one bow in that whole pile i know the 
minute must be almost up and will have to decide 
what my strategy will be and i find myself positioning 
my feet to run not away into the stir rounding forests 
but toward the pile toward the bow when suddenly i 
notice peeta hes about five tributes to my right quite 
a fair distance still i can tell hes looking at me and i 
think he might be shaking his head but the suns in 
my eyes and while im puzzling over it the gong rings 
out 
and ive missed it ive missed my chance because 
those extra couple of seconds ive lost by not being 
 
ready are enough to change my mind about going in 
my feet shuffle for a moment confused at the 
direction my brain wants to take and then i lunge 
forward scoop up the sheet of plastic and a loaf of 
bread the pickings are so small and im so angry 
with peeta for distracting me that i sprint in twenty 
yards to retrieve a bright orange backpack that could 
hold anything because i cant stand leaving with 
virtually nothing 
a boy i think from district 9 reaches the pack at the 
same time i do and for a brief time we grapple for it 
and then he coughs splattering my face with blood i 
stagger back repulsed by the warm sticky spray 
then the boy slips to the ground thats when i see 
the knife in his back already other tributes have 
reached the cornucopia and are spreading out to 
attack yes the girl from district 2 ten yards away 
running toward me one hand clutching a halfdozen 
knives ive seen her throw in training she never 
misses and im her next target 
all the general fear ive been feeling condenses into at 
immediate fear of this girl this predator who might 
kill me in seconds adrenaline shoots through me and 
i sling the pack over one shoulder and run full speed 
for the woods i can hear the blade whistling toward 
me and reflexively hike the pack up to protect my 
head the blade lodges in the pack both straps on 
my shoulders now i make for the trees somehow i 
know the girl will not pursue me that shell be drawn 
back into the cornucopia before all the good stuff is 
gone a grin crosses my face thanks for the knife i 
think 
at the edge of the woods i turn for one instant to 
survey the field about a dozen or so tributes are 
hacking away at one another at the horn several lie 
dead already on the ground those who have taken 
 
flight are disappearing into the trees or into the void 
opposite me i continue running until the woods have 
hidden me from the other tributes then slow into a 
steady jog that i think i can maintain for a while for 
the next few hours i alternate between jogging and 
walking putting as much distance as i can between 
myself and my competitors i lost my bread during 
the struggle with the boy from district 9 but managed 
to stuff my plastic in my sleeve so as i walk i fold it 
neatly and tuck it into a pocket i also free the knife 
— its a fine one with a long sharp blade serrated 
near the handle which will make it handy for sawing 
through things — and slide it into my belt i dont 
dare stop to examine the contents of the pack yet i 
just keep moving pausing only to check for pursuers 
i can go a long time i know that from my days in the 
woods but i will need water that was haymitchs 
second instruction and since i sort of botched the 
first i keep a sharp eye out for any sign of it no luck 
the woods begin to evolve and the pines are 
intermixed with a variety of trees some i recognize 
some completely foreign to me at one point i hear a 
noise and pull my knife thinking i may have to 
defend myself but ive only startled a rabbit good to 
see you i whisper if theres one rabbit there could 
be hundreds just waiting to be snared 
the ground slopes down i dont particularly like this 
valleys make me feel trapped i want to be high like 
in the hills around district 12 where i can see my 
enemies approaching but i have no choice but to 
keep going 
funny though i dont feel too bad the days of 
gorging myself have paid off ive got staying power 
even though im short on sleep being in the woods is 
rejuvenating im glad for the solitude even though 
 
its an illusion because im probably onscreen right 
now not consistently but off and on there are so 
many deaths to show the first day that a tribute 
trekking through the woods isnt much to look at but 
they 11 show me enough to let people know im alive 
uninjured and on the move one of the heaviest days 
of betting is the opening when the initial casualties 
come in but that cant compare to what happens as 
the field shrinks to a handful of players 
its late afternoon when i begin to hear the cannons 
each shot represents a dead tribute the fighting 
must have finally stopped at the cornucopia they 
never collect the bloodbath bodies until the killers 
have dispersed on the opening day they dont even 
fire the cannons until the initial fightings over 
because its too hard to keep track of the fatalities i 
allow myself to pause panting as i count the shots 
one    two    three  on and on until they reach 
eleven eleven dead in all thirteen left to play my 
fingernails scrape at the dried blood the boy from 
district 9 coughed into my face hes gone certainly i 
wonder about peeta has he lasted through the day 
ill know in a few hours when they project the deads 
images into the sky for the rest of us to see 
all of a sudden im overwhelmed by the thought that 
peeta may be already lost bled white collected and 
in the process of being transported back to the 
capitol to be cleaned up redressed and shipped in a 
simple wooden box back to district 12 no longer 
here heading home i try hard to remember if i saw 
him once the action started but the last image i can 
conjure up is peeta shaking his head as the gong rang 
out 
maybe its better if hes gone already he had no 
confidence he could win and i will not end up with 
 
the unpleasant task of killing him maybe its better if 
hes out of this for good 
i slump down next to my pack exhausted i need to 
go through it anyway before night falls see what i 
have to work with as i unhook the straps i can feel 
its sturdily made although a rather unfortunate 
color this orange will practically glow in the dark i 
make a mental note to camouflage it first thing 
tomorrow 
i flip open the flap what i want most right at this 
moment is water haymitchs directive to immediately 
find water was not arbitrary i wont last long without 
it for a few days 111 be able to function with 
unpleasant symptomsof dehydration but after that 
ill deteriorate into helplessness and be dead in a 
week tops i carefully lay out the provisions one thin 
black sleeping bag that reflects body heal 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 halfgallon plastic bottle 
with a cap for carrying water thats bone dry 
no water how hard would it have been for them to fill 
up the bottle i become aware of the dryness in my 
throat and mouth the cracks in my lips ive been 
moving all day long its been hot and ive sweat a lot 
i do this at home but there are always streams to 
drink from or snow to melt if it should come to it 
as i refill my pack i have an awful thought the lake 
the one i saw while i was waiting for the gong to 
sound what if thats the only water source in the 
arena that way theyll guarantee drawing us in to 
fight the lake is a full days journey from where i sit 
now a much harder journey with nothing to drink 
and then even if i reach it its sure to be heavily 
guarded by some of the career tributes im about to 
 
panic when i remember the rabbit i startled earlier 
today it has to drink too i just have to find out 
where 
twilight is closing in and i am ill at ease the trees 
are too thin to offer much concealment the layer of 
pine needles that muffles my footsteps also makes 
tracking animals harder when i need their trails to 
find water and im still heading downhill deeper and 
deeper into a valley that seems endless 
im hungry too but i dont dare break into my 
precious store of crackers and beef yet instead i take 
my knife and go to work on a pine tree cutting away 
the outer bark and scraping off a large handful of the 
softer inner bark i slowly chew the stuff as i walk 
along after a week of the finest food in the world its 
a little hard to choke down but ive eaten plenty of 
pine in my life ill adjust quickly 
in another hour its clear ive got to find a place to 
camp night creatures are coming out i can hear the 
occasional hoot or howl my first clue that 111 be 
competing with natural predators for the rabbits as 
to whether 111 be viewed as a source of food its too 
soon to tell there could be any number of animals 
stalking me at this moment 
but right now i decide to make my fellow tributes a 
priority im sure many will continue hunting through 
the night those who fought it out at the cornucopia 
will have food an abundance of water from the lake 
torches or flashlights and weapons theyre itching to 
use i can only hope ive traveled far and fast enough 
to be out of range 
before settling down i take my wire and set two 
twitchup snares in the brush i know its risky to be 
setting traps but food will go so fast out here and i 
 
cant set snares on the run still i walk another five 
minutes before making camp 
i pick my tree carefully a willow not terribly tall but 
set in a clump of other willows offering concealment 
in those long flowing tresses i climb up sticking to 
the stronger branches close to the trunk and find a 
sturdy fork for my bed it takes some doing but i 
arrange the sleeping bag in a relatively comfortable 
manner i place my backpack in the foot of the bag 
then slide in after it as a precaution i remove my 
belt loop it all the way around the branch and my 
sleeping bag and refasten it at my waist now if i roll 
over in my sleep i wont go crashing to the ground 
im small enough to tuck the top of the bag over my 
head but i put on my hood as well as night falls the 
air is cooling quickly despite the risk i took in getting 
the backpack i know now it was the right choice 
this sleeping bag radiating back and preserving my 
body heat will be invaluable im sure there are 
several other tributes whose biggest concern right 
now is how to stay warm whereas i may actually be 
able to get a few hours of sleep if only i wasnt so 
thirsty  
night has just come when i hear the anthem that 
proceeds the death recap through the branches i can 
see the seal of the capitol which appears to be 
floating in the sky im actually viewing another 
screen an enormous one thats transported by of one 
of their disappearing hovercraft the anthem fades 
out and the sky goes dark for a moment at home we 
would be watching full coverage of each and every 
killing but thats thought to give an unfair advantage 
to the living tributes for instance if i got my hands 
on the bow and shot someone my secret would be 
revealed to all no here in the arena all we see are 
the same photographs they showed when they 
televised our training scores simple head shots but 
 
now instead of scores they post only district numbers 
i take a deep breath as the face of the eleven dead 
tributes begin and tick them off one by one on my 
fingers 
the first to appear is the girl from district 3 that 
means that the career tributes from 1 and 2 have all 
survived no surprise there then the boy from 4 i 
didnt expect that one usually all the careers make it 
through the first day the boy from district 5  i 
guess the foxfaced girl made it both tributes from 6 
and 7 the boy from 8 both from 9 yes theres the 
boy who i fought for the backpack ive run through 
my fingers only one more dead tribute to go is it 
peeta no theres the girl from district 10 thats it 
the capitol seal is back with a final musical flourish 
then darkness and the sounds of the forest resume 
im relieved peetas alive i tell myself again that if i 
get killed his winning will benefit my mother and 
prim the most this is what i tell myself to explain the 
conflicting emotions that arise when i think of peeta 
the gratitude that he gave me an edge by professing 
his love for me in the interview the anger at his 
superiority on the roof the dread that we may come 
facetoface at any moment in this arena 
eleven dead but none from district 12 i try to work 
out who is left five career tributes foxface thresh 
and rue rue  so she made it through the first day 
after all i cant help feeling glad that makes ten of 
us the other three ill figure out tomorrow now when 
it is dark and i have traveled far and i am nestled 
high in this tree now i must try and rest 
i havent really slept in two days and then theres 
been the long days journey into the arena slowly i 
allow my muscles to relax my eyes to close the last 
thing i think is its lucky i dont snore  
 
snap the sound of a breaking branch wakes me 
how long have i been asleep four hours five the 
tip of my nose is icy cold snap snap whats going 
on this is not the sound of a branch under 
someones foot but the sharp crack of one coming 
from a tree snap snap i judge it to be several 
hundred yards to my right slowly noiselessly i turn 
myself in that direction for a few minutes theres 
nothing but blackness and some scuffling then i see 
a spark and a small fire begins to bloom a pair of 
hands warms over flames but i cant make out more 
than that 
i have to bite my lip not to scream every foul name i 
know at the fire starter what are they thinking a 
fire 111 just at nightfall would have been one thing 
those who battled at the cornucopia with their 
superior strength and surplus of supplies they 
couldnt possibly have been near enough to spot the 
flames then but now when theyve probably been 
combing the woods for hours looking for victims you 
might as well be waving a flag and shouting come 
and get me 
and here i am a stones throw from the biggest idiot 
in the games strapped in a tree not daring to flee 
since my general location has just been broadcast to 
any killer who cares i mean i know its cold out here 
and not everybody has a sleeping bag but then you 
grit your teeth and stick it out until dawn 
i lay smoldering in my bag for the next couple of 
hours really thinking that if i can get out of this tree i 
wont have the least problem taking out my new 
neighbor my instinct has been to flee not fight but 
obviously this persons a hazard stupid people are 
dangerous and this one probably doesnt have much 
in the way of weapons while ive got this excellent 
knife 
 
the sky is still dark but i can feel the first signs of 
dawn approaching im beginning to think we — 
meaning the person whose death im now devising 
and me — we might actually have gone unnoticed 
then i hear it several pairs of feet breaking into a 
run the fire starter must have dozed off theyre on 
her before she can escape i know its a girl now i can 
tell by the pleading the agonized scream that follows 
then theres laughter and congratulations from 
several voices someone cries out twelve down and 
eleven to go which gets a round of appreciative 
hoots 
so theyre fighting in a pack im not really surprised 
often alliances are formed in the early stages of the 
games the strong band together to hunt down the 
weak then when the tension becomes too great begin 
to turn on one another i dont have to wonder too 
hard who has made this alliance it 11 be the 
remaining career tributes from districts 12 and 4 
two boys and three girls the ones who lunched 
together 
for a moment i hear them checking the girl for 
supplies i can tell by their comments theyve found 
nothing good i wonder if the victim is rue but 
quickly dismiss the thought shes much too bright to 
be building a fire like that 
better clear out so they can get the body before it 
starts stinking im almost certain thats the brutish 
boy from district 2 there are murmurs of assent and 
then to my horror i hear the pack heading toward 
me they do not know im here how could they and 
im well concealed in the clump of trees at least while 
the sun stays down then my black sleeping bag will 
turn from camouflage to trouble if they just keep 
moving they will pass me and be gone in a minute 
 
but the careers stop in the clearing about ten yards 
from my tree they have flashlights torches i can see 
an arm here a boot there through the breaks in the 
branches i turn to stone not even daring to breathe 
have they spotted me no not yet i can tell from 
their words their minds are elsewhere 
shouldnt we have heard a cannon by now 
id say yes nothing to prevent them from going in 
immediately 
unless she isnt dead 
shes dead i stuck her myself 
then where s the cannon 
someone should go back make sure the jobs done 
yeah we dont want to have to track her down 
twice 
i said shes dead 
an argument breaks out until one tribute silences the 
others were wasting time ill go finish her and lets 
move on 
i almost fall out of the tree the voice belongs to 
peeta 
 
thank goodness i had the foresight to belt myself in 
ive rolled sideways off the fork and im facing the 
ground held in place by the belt one hand and my 
feet straddling the pack inside my sleeping bag 
braced against the trunk there must have been some 
rustling when i tipped sideways but the careers have 
been too caught up in their own argument to catch it 
go on then lover boy says the boy from district 
2 see for yourself 
i just get a glimpse of peeta lit by a torch heading 
back to the girl by the fire his face is swollen with 
bruises theres a bloody bandage on one arm and 
from the sound of his gait hes limping somewhat i 
remember him shaking him his head telling me not 
to go into the fight for the supplies when all along all 
along hed planned to throw himself into the thick of 
things just the opposite of what haymitch had mid 
him to do 
okay i can stomach that seeing all those supplies 
was tempting but this    this other thing this 
teaming up with the career wolf pack to hunt down 
the rest of us no one from district 12 would think of 
doing such a thing career tributes are overly vicious 
arrogant better fed but only because theyre the 
capitols lapdogs 
universally solidly hated by all but those from their 
own districts i can imagine the things theyre saying 
about him back home now and peeta had the gall to 
talk to me about disgrace 
 
obviously the noble boy on the rooftop was playing 
just one more game with me but this will be his last 
i will eagerly watch the night skies for signs of his 
death if i dont kill him first myself 
the career tributes are silent until he gets out of ear 
shot then use hushed voices 
why dont we just kill him now and get it over with 
let him tag along whats the harm and hes handy 
with that knife 
is he thats news what a lot of interesting things 
im learning about my friend peeta today 
besides hes our best chance of finding her 
it takes me a moment to register that the her theyre 
referring to is me 
why you think she bought into that sappy romance 
stuff 
she might have seemed pretty simpleminded to me 
every time i think about her spinning around in that 
dress i want to puke 
wish we knew how she got that eleven 
bet you lover boy knows 
the sound of peeta returning silences them 
was she dead asks the boy from district 2 
no but she is now says peeta just then the 
cannon fires ready to move on 
 
the career pack sets off at a run just as dawn begins 
to break and birdsong fills the air i remain in my 
awkward position muscles trembling with exertion 
for a while longer then hoist myself back onto my 
branch i need to get down to get going but for a 
moment i lie there digesting what ive heard not only 
is peeta with the careers hes helping them find me 
the simpleminded girl who has to be taken seriously 
because of her eleven because she can use a bow 
and arrow which peeta knows better than anyone 
but he hasnt told them yet is he saving that 
information because he knows its all that keeps him 
alive is he still pretending to love me for the 
audience what is going on in his head 
suddenly the birds fall silent then one gives a high 
pitched warning call a single note just like the one 
gale and i heard when the redheaded avox girl was 
caught high above the dying campfire a hovercraft 
materializes a set of huge metal teeth drops down 
slowly gently the dead tribute girl is lifted into the 
hovercraft then it vanishes the birds resume their 
song 
move i whisper to myself i wriggle out of my 
sleeping bag roll it up and place it in the pack i take 
a deep breath while ive been concealed by darkness 
and the sleeping bag and the willow branches it has 
probably been difficult for the cameras to get a good 
shot of me i know they must be tracking me now 
though the minute i hit the ground im guaranteed 
a closeup 
the audience will have been beside themselves 
knowing i was in the tree that i overheard the 
careers talking that i discovered peeta was with 
them until i work out exactly how i want to play that 
 
id better at least act on top of things not perplexed 
certainly not confused or frightened 
no i need to look one step ahead of the game 
so as i slide out of the foliage and into the dawn light 
i pause a second giving the cameras time to lock on 
me then i cock my head slightly to the side and give 
a knowing smile there let them figure out what that 
means 
im about to take off when i think of my snares 
maybe its imprudent to check them with the others 
so close but have to too many years of hunting i 
guess and the lure of possible meat im rewarded 
with one fine rabbit in no time ive cleaned and 
gutted the animal leaving the head feet tail skin 
and innards under a pile of leaves im wishing for a 
fire — eating raw rabbit can give you rabbit fever a 
lesson i learned the hard way — when i think of the 
dead tribute i hurry back to her camp sure enough 
the coals of her dying fire are still hot i cut up the 
rabbit fashion a spit out of branches and set it over 
the coals 
im glad for the cameras now i want sponsors to see i 
can hunt that im a good bet because i wont be lured 
into traps as easily as the others will by hunger 
while the rabbit cooks i grind up part of a charred 
branch and set about camouflaging my orange pack 
the black tones it down but i feel a layer of mud 
would definitely help of course to have mud id 
need water    
i pull on my gear grab my spit kick some dirt over 
the coals and take off in the opposite direction the 
careers went i eat half the rabbit as i go then wrap 
up the leftovers in my plastic for later the meat stops 
 
the grumbling in my stomach but does little to 
quench my thirst water is my top priority now 
as i hike along i feel certain im still holding the 
screen in the capitol so im careful to continue to 
hide my emotions but what a good time claudius 
templesmith must be having with his guest 
commentators dissecting peetas behavior my 
reaction what to make of it all has peeta revealed 
his true colors how does this affect the betting odds 
will we lose sponsors do we even have sponsors 
yes i feel certain we do or at least did 
certainly peeta has thrown a wrench into our star 
crossed lover dynamic or has he maybe since he 
hasnt spoken much about me we can still get some 
mileage out of it maybe people will think its 
something we plotted together if i seem like it amuses 
me now 
the sun rises in the sky and even through the canopy 
it seems overly bright i coat my lips in some grease 
from the rabbit and try to keep from panting but its 
no use its only been a day and im dehydrating fast 
i try and think of everything i know about finding 
water it runs downhill so in fact continuing down 
into this valley isnt a bad thing if i could just locate 
a game trail or spot a particularly green patch of 
vegetation these might help me along but nothing 
seems to change theres just the slight gradual slope 
the birds the sameness to the trees 
as the day wears on i know im headed for trouble 
what little urine ive been able to pass is a dark 
brown my head is aching and theres a dry patch on 
my tongue that refuses to moisten the sun hurts my 
eyes so i dig out my sunglasses but when i put them 
on they do something funny to my vision so i just 
stuff them back in my pack 
 
its late afternoon when i think ive found help i spot 
a cluster of berry bushes and hurry to strip the fruit 
to suck the sweet juices from the skins but just as 
im holding them to my lips i get a hard look at them 
what i thought were blueberries have a slightly 
different shape and when i break one open the 
insides are bloodred i dont recognize these berries 
perhaps they are edible but im guessing this is some 
evil trick on the part of the gamemakers even the 
plant instructor in the training center made a point 
of telling us to avoid berries unless you were 100 
percent sure they werent toxic something i already 
knew but im so thirsty it takes her reminder to give 
me the strength to fling them away 
fatigue is beginning to settle on me but its not the 
usual tiredness that follows a long hike i have to stop 
and rest frequently although i know the only cure for 
what ails me requires continued searching i try a 
new tactic — climbing a tree as high as i dare in my 
shaky state — to look for any signs of water but as 
far as i can see in any direction theres the same 
unrelenting stretch of forest 
determined to go on until nightfall i walk until im 
stumbling over my own feet 
exhausted i haul myself up into a tree and belt 
myself in ive no appetite but i suck on a rabbit bone 
just to give my mouth something to do night falls 
the anthem plays and high in the sky i see the 
picture of the girl who was apparently from district 
8 the one peeta went back to finish off 
my fear of the career pack is minor compared to my 
burning thirst besides they were heading away from 
me and by now they too will have to rest with the 
scarcity of water they may even have had to return to 
the lake for refills 
 
maybe that is the only course for me as well 
morning brings distress my heads throbs with every 
beat of my heart simple movements send stabs of 
pain through my joints i fall rather than jump from 
the tree it takes several minutes for me to assemble 
my gear somewhere inside me i know this is wrong 
i should be acting with more caution moving with 
more urgency but my mind seems foggy and forming 
a plan is hard i lean back against the trunk of my 
tree one finger gingerly stroking the sandpaper 
surface of my tongue as i assess my options how 
can i get water 
return to the lake no good id never make it 
hope for rain theres not a cloud in the sky 
keep looking yes this is my only chance but then 
another thought hits me and the surge of anger that 
follows brings me to me senses 
haymitch he could send me water press a button 
and have it delivered to me in a silver parachute in 
minutes i know i must have sponsors at least one or 
two who could afford a pint of liquid for me yes its 
pricey but these people theyre made of money and 
theyll be betting on me as well perhaps haymitch 
doesnt realize how deep my need is 
i say in a voice as loud as i dare water i wait 
hopefully for a parachute to descend from the sky 
but nothing is forthcoming 
something is wrong am i deluded about having 
sponsors or has peetas behavior made them all 
hang back no i dont believe it theres someone out 
there who wants to buy me water only haymitch is 
refusing to let it go through as my mentor he gets to 
 
control the flow of gifts from the sponsors i know he 
hates me hes made that clear enough but enough 
to let me die from this he cant do that can he if 
a mentor mistreats his tributes hell be held 
accountable by the viewers by the people back in 
district 12 even haymitch wouldnt risk that would 
he say what you will about my fellow traders in the 
hob but i dont think theyd welcome him back there 
if he let me die this way and then where would he get 
his liquor so    what is he trying to make me suffer 
for defying him is he directing all the sponsors 
toward peeta is he just too drunk to even notice 
whats going on at the moment somehow i dont 
believe that and i dont believe hes trying to kill me 
off by neglect either he has in fact in his own 
unpleasant way genuinely been trying to prepare me 
for this then what is going on 
i bury my face in my hands theres no danger of 
tears now i couldnt produce one to save my life 
what is haymitch doing despite my anger hatred 
and suspicions a small voice in the back of my head 
whispers an answer 
maybe hes sending you a message it says a 
message saying what then i know theres only one 
good reason haymitch could be withholding water 
from me because he knows ive almost found it 
i grit my teeth and pull myself to my feet my 
backpack seems to have tripled in weight i find a 
broken branch that will do for a walking stick and i 
start off the suns beating down even more searing 
than the first two days i feel like an old piece of 
leather drying and cracking in the heat every step is 
an effort but i refuse to stop i refuse to sit down if i 
sit theres a good chance i wont be able to get up 
again that i wont even remember my task 
 
what easy prey i am any tribute even tiny rue 
could take me right now merely shove me over and 
kill me with my own knife and id have little strength 
to resist but if anyone is in my part of the woods 
they ignore me the truth is i feel a million miles 
from another living soul 
not alone though no theyve surely got a camera 
tracking me now i think back to the years of 
watching tributes starve freeze bleed and dehydrate 
to death unless theres a really good fight going on 
somewhere im being featured 
my thoughts turn to prim its likely she wont be 
watching me live but theyll show updates at the 
school during lunch for her sake i try to look as 
least desperate as i can 
but by afternoon i know the end is coming my legs 
are shaking and my heart too quick i keep forgetting 
exactly what im doing ive stumbled repeatedly and 
managed to regain my feet but when the stick slides 
out from under me i finally tumble to the ground 
unable to get up i let my eyes close 
i have misjudged haymitch he has no intention of 
helping me at all 
this is all right i think this is not so bad here the 
air is less hot signifying evenings approach theres 
a slight sweet scent that reminds me of lilies my 
fingers stroke the smooth ground sliding easily 
across the top this is an okay place to die i think 
my fingertips make small swirling patterns in the 
cool slippery earth ilove mud i think how many 
times ive tracked game with the help of its soft 
readable surface good for bee stings too mud mud 
mud my eyes fly open and i dig my fingers into the 
 
earth it is mud my nose lifts in the air and those 
are lilies pond lilies 
i crawl now through the mud dragging myself 
toward the scent five yards from where i fell i crawl 
through a tangle of plants into a pond floating on 
the top yellow flowers in bloom are my beautiful 
lilies 
its all i can do not to plunge my face into the water 
and gulp down as much as i can hold but i have jus 
enough sense left to abstain with trembling hands i 
get out my flask and fill it with water i add what i 
remember to be the right number of drops of iodine 
for purifying it the half an hour of waiting is agony 
but i do it at least 
i think its a half an hour but its certainly as long as 
i can stand 
slowly easy now i tell myself i take one swallow and 
make myself wait then another over the next couple 
of hours i drink the entire half gallon then a second 
i prepare another before i retire to a tree where i 
continue sipping eating rabbit and even indulge in 
one of my precious crackers by the time the anthem 
plays i feel remarkably better there are no faces 
tonight no tributes died today tomorrow 111 stay 
here resting camouflaging my backpack with mud 
catching some of those little fish i saw as i sipped 
digging up the roots of the pond lilies to make a nice 
meal i snuggle down in my sleeping bag hanging on 
to my water bottle for dear life which of course it is 
a few hours later the stampede of feet shakes me 
from slumber i look around in bewilderment its not 
yet dawn but my stinging eyes can see it 
 
it would be hard to miss the wall of fire descending on 
me 
 
my first impulse is to scramble from the tree but im 
belted in somehow my fumbling fingers release the 
buckle and i fall to the ground in a heap still snarled 
in my sleeping bag theres no time for any kind of 
packing fortunately my backpack and water bottle 
are already in the bag i shove in the belt hoist the 
bag over my shoulder and flee 
the world has transformed to flame and smoke 
burning branches crack from trees and fall in 
showers of sparks at my feet all i can do is follow the 
others the rabbits and deer and i even spot a wild 
dog pack shooting through the woods i trust their 
sense of direction because their instincts are sharper 
than mine but they are much faster flying through 
the underbrush so gracefully as my boots catch on 
roots and fallen tree limbs that theres no way i can 
keep apace with them 
the heat is horrible but worse than the heat is the 
smoke which threatens to suffocate me at any 
moment i pull the top of my shirt up over my nose 
grateful to find it soaked in sweat and it offers a thin 
veil of protection and i run choking my bag banging 
against my back my face cut with branches that 
materialize from the gray haze without warning 
because i know i am supposed to run 
this was no tributes campfire gone out of control no 
accidental occurrence the flames that bear down on 
me have an unnatural height a uniformity that 
marks them as humanmade machinemade 
gamemakermade things have been too quiet today 
no deaths perhaps no fights at all the audience in 
the capitol will be getting bored claiming that these 
 
games are verging on dullness this is the one thing 
the games must not do 
its not hard to follow the gamemakers motivation 
there is the career pack and then there are the rest 
of us probably spread far and thin across the arena 
this fire is designed to flush us out to drive us 
together it may not be the most original device ive 
seen but its very very effective 
i hurdle over a burning log not high enough the tail 
end of my jacket catches on fire and i have to stop to 
rip it from my body and stamp out the flames but i 
dont dare leave the jacket scorched and smoldering 
as it is i take the risk of shoving it in my sleeping 
bag hoping the lack of air will quell what i havent 
extinguished this is all i have what i carry on my 
back and its little enough to survive with 
in a matter of minutes my throat and nose are 
burning the coughing begins soon after and my 
lungs begin to feel as if they are actually being 
cooked discomfort turns to distress until each breath 
sends a searing pain through my chest i manage to 
take cover under a stone outcropping just as the 
vomiting begins and i lose my meager supper and 
whatever water has remained in my stomach 
crouching on my hands and knees i retch until 
theres nothing left to come up 
i know i need to keep moving but im trembling and 
lightheaded now gasping for air i allow myself about 
a spoonful of water to rinse my mouth and spit then 
take a few swallows from my bottle you get one 
minute i tell myself one minute to rest i take the 
time to reorder my supplies wad up the sleeping bag 
and messily stuff everything into the backpack my 
minutes up i know its time to move on but the 
smoke has clouded my thoughts the swiftfooted 
 
animals that were my compass have left me behind i 
know i havent been in this part of the woods before 
there were no sizable rocks like the one im sheltering 
against on my earlier travels where are the 
gamemakers driving me back to the lake to a 
whole new terrain filled with new dangers i had just 
found a few hours of peace at the pond when this 
attack began would there be any way i could travel 
parallel to the fire and work my way back there to a 
source of water at least the wall of fire must have an 
end and it wont burn indefinitely not because the 
gamemakers couldnt keep it fueled but because 
again that would invite accusations of boredom from 
the audience if i could get back behind the fire line i 
could avoid meeting up with the careers ive just 
decided to try and loop back around although it will 
require miles of travel away from the inferno and then 
a very circuitous route back when the first fireball 
blasts into the rock about two feet from my head i 
spring out from under my ledge energized by renewed 
fear 
the game has taken a twist the fire was just to get 
us moving now the audience will get to see some real 
fun when i hear the next hiss i flatten on the 
ground not taking time to look the fireball hits a 
tree off to my left engulfing it in flames to remain 
still is death im barely on my feet before the third 
ball hits the ground where i was lying sending a 
pillar of fire up behind me time loses meaning now 
as i frantically try to dodge the attacks i cant see 
where theyre being launched from but its not a 
hovercraft the angles are not extreme enough 
probably this whole segment of the woods has been 
armed with precision launchers that are concealed in 
trees or rocks somewhere in a cool and spotless 
room a gamemaker sits at a set of controls fingers 
on the triggers that could end my life in a second all 
that is needed is a direct hit 
 
whatever vague plan i had conceived regarding 
returning to my pond is wiped from my mind as i 
zigzag and dive and leap to avoid the fireballs each 
one is only the size of an apple but packs 
tremendous power on contact every sense i have 
goes into overdrive as the need to survive takes over 
theres no time to judge if a move is the correct one 
when theres a hiss i act or die 
something keeps me moving forward though a 
lifetime of watching the hunger games lets me know 
that certain areas of the arena are rigged for certain 
attacks and that if i can just get away from this 
section i might be able to move out of reach of the 
launchers i might also then fall straight into a pit of 
vipers but i cant worry about that now 
how long i scramble along dodging the fireballs i cant 
say but the attacks finally begin to abate which is 
good because im retching again this time its an 
acidic substance that scalds my throat and makes its 
way into my nose as well im forced to stop as my 
body convulses trying desperately to rid itself of the 
poisons ive been sucking in during the attack i wait 
for the next hiss the next signal to bolt it doesnt 
come the force of the retching has squeezed tears 
out of my stinging eyes my clothes are drenched in 
sweat somehow through the smoke and vomit i 
pick up the scent of singed hair my hand fumbles to 
my braid and finds a fireball has seared off at least 
six inches of it strands of blackened hair crumble in 
my fingers i stare at them fascinated by the 
transformation when the hissing registers 
my muscles react only not fast enough this time the 
fireball crashes into the ground at my side but not 
before it skids across my right calf seeing my pants 
leg on fire sends me over the edge i twist and scuttle 
backward on my hands and feet shrieking trying to 
 
remove myself from the horror when i finally regain 
enough sense i roll the leg back and forth on the 
ground which stifles the worst of it but then 
without thinking i rip away the remaining fabric with 
my bare hands 
i sit on the ground a few yards from the blaze set off 
by the fireball my calf is screaming my hands 
covered in red welts im shaking too hard to move if 
the gamemakers want to finish me off now is the 
time 
i hear cinnas voice carrying images of rich fabric 
and sparkling gems katniss the girl who was on 
fire what a good laugh the gamemakers must be 
having over that one perhaps cinnas beautiful 
costumes have even brought on this particular 
torture for me i know he couldnt have foreseen this 
must be hurting for me because in fact i believe he 
cares about me but all in all maybe showing up 
stark naked in that chariot would have been safer for 
me 
the attack is now over the gamemakers dont want 
me dead not yet anyway everyone knows they could 
destroy us all within seconds of the opening gong the 
real sport of the hunger games is watching the 
tributes kill one another every so often they do kill a 
tribute just to remind the players they can but 
mostly they manipulate us into confronting one 
another facetoface which means if i am no longer 
being fired at there is at least one other tribute close 
at hand 
i would drag myself into a tree and take cover now if i 
could but the smoke is still thick enough to kill me i 
make myself stand and begin to limp away from the 
wall of flames that lights up the sky it does not seem 
 
to be pursuing me any longer except with its stinking 
black clouds 
another light daylight begins to softly emerge swirls 
of smoke catch the sunbeams my visibility is poor i 
can see maybe fifteen yards in any direction a tribute 
could easily be concealed from me here i should draw 
my knife as a precaution but i doubt my ability to 
hold it for long the pain in my hands can in no way 
compete with that in my calf i hate burns have 
always hated them even a small one gotten from 
pulling a pan of bread from the oven it is the worst 
kind of pain to me but i have never experienced 
anything like this 
im so weary i dont even notice im in the pool until 
im ankledeep its springfed bubbling up out of a 
crevice in some rocks and blissfully cool i plunge my 
hands into the shallow water and feel instant relief 
isnt that what my mother always says the first 
treatment for a burn is cold water that it draws out 
the heat but she means minor burns probably shed 
recommend it for my hands but what of my calf 
although i have not yet had the courage to examine 
it im guessing that its an injury in a whole different 
class 
i lie on my stomach at edge of the pool for a while 
dangling my hands in the water examining the little 
flames on my fingernails that are beginning to chip 
off good ive had enough fire for a lifetime 
i bathe the blood and ash from my face i try to recall 
all i know about burns they are common injuries in 
the seam where we cook and heat our homes with 
coal then there are the mine accidents  a family 
once brought in an unconscious young man pleading 
with my mother to help him the district doctor whos 
responsible for treating the miners had written him 
 
off told the family to take him home to die but they 
wouldnt accept this he lay on our kitchen table 
senseless to the world i got a glimpse of the wound 
on his thigh gaping charred flesh burned clear 
down to the bone before i ran from the house i went 
to the woods and hunted the entire day haunted by 
the gruesome leg memories of my fathers death 
whats funny was prim whos scared of her own 
shadow stayed and helped my mother says healers 
are born not made they did their best but the man 
died just like the doctor said he would 
my leg is in need of attention but i still cant look at 
it what if its as bad as the mans and i can see my 
bone then i remember my mother saying that if a 
burns severe the victim might not even feel pain 
because the nerves would be destroyed encouraged 
by this i sit up and swing my leg in front of me 
i almost faint at the sight of my calf the flesh is a 
brilliant red covered with blisters i force myself to 
take deep slow breaths feeling quite certain the 
cameras are on my face i cant show weakness at this 
injury not if i want help pity does not get you aid 
admiration at your refusal to give in does i cut the 
remains of the pant leg off at the knee and examine 
the injury more closely the burned area is about the 
size of my hand none of the skin is blackened i 
think its not too bad to soak gingerly i stretch out 
my leg into the pool propping the heel of my boot on 
a rock so the leather doesnt get too sodden and sigh 
because this does offer some relief i know there are 
herbs if i could find them that would speed the 
healing but i cant quite call them to mind water 
and time will probably be all i have to work with 
should i be moving on the smoke is slowly clearing 
but still too heavy to be healthy if i do continue away 
from the fire wont i be walking straight into the 
 
weapons of the careers besides every time i lift my 
leg from the water the pain rebounds so intensely i 
have to slide it back in my hands are slightly less 
demanding they can handle small breaks from the 
pool so i slowly put my gear back in order first i fill 
my bottle with the pool water treat it and when 
enough time has passed begin to rehydrate my body 
after a time i force myself to nibble on a cracker 
which helps settle my stomach i roll up my sleeping 
bag except for a few black marks its relatively 
unscathed my jackets another matter stinking and 
scorched at least a foot of the back beyond repair i 
cut off the damaged area leaving me with a garment 
that comes just to the bottom of my ribs but the 
hoods intact and its far better than nothing 
despite the pain drowsiness begins to take over id 
take to a tree and try to rest except id be too easy to 
spot besides abandoning my pool seems impossible 
i neatly arrange my supplies even settle my pack on 
my shoulders but i cant seem to leave i spot some 
water plants with edible roots and make a small meal 
with my last piece of rabbit sip water watch the sun 
make its slow arc across the sky where would i go 
anyway that is any safer than here i lean back on 
my pack overcome by drowsiness if the careers 
want me let them find me i think before drifting into 
a stupor let them find me 
and find me they do its lucky im ready to move on 
because when i hear the feet i have less than a 
minute head start evening has begun to fall the 
moment i awake im up and running splashing 
across the pool flying into the underbrush my leg 
slows me down but i sense my pursuers are not as 
speedy as they were before the fire either i hear their 
coughs their raspy voices calling to one another 
 
still they are closing in just like a pack of wild dogs 
and so i do what i have done my whole life in such 
circumstances i pick a high tree and begin to climb 
if running hurt climbing is agonizing because it 
requires not only exertion but direct contact of my 
hands on the tree bark im fast though and by the 
time theyve reached the base of my trunk im twenty 
feet up for a moment we stop and survey one 
another i hope they cant hear the pounding of my 
heart 
this could be it i think what chance do i have 
against them all six are there the five careers and 
peeta and my only consolation is theyre pretty beat 
up too even so look at their weapons look at their 
faces grinning and snarling at me a sure kill above 
them it seems pretty hopeless but then something 
else registers theyre bigger and stronger than i am 
no doubt but theyre also heavier theres a reason 
its me and not gale who ventures up to pluck the 
highest fruit or rob the most remote bird nests i 
must weigh at least fifty or sixty pounds less than the 
smallest career 
now i smile hows everything with you i call down 
cheerfully 
this takes them aback but i know the crowd will love 
it 
well enough says the boy from district 
2 yourself 
its been a bit warm for my taste i say i can almost 
hear the laughter from the capitol the airs better 
up here why dont you come on up 
think i will says the same boy 
 
here take this cato says the girl from district 1 
and she offers him the silver bow and sheath of 
arrows my bow my arrows just the sight of them 
makes me so angry i want to scream at myself at 
that traitor peeta for distracting me from having 
them i try to make eye contact with him now but he 
seems to be intentionally avoiding my gaze as he 
polishes his knife with the edge of his shirt 
no says cato pushing away the bow ill do better 
with my sword i can see the weapon a short heavy 
blade at his belt 
i give cato time to hoist himself into the tree before i 
begin to climb again gale always says i remind him 
of a squirrel the way i can scurry up even the 
slenderest limb part of its my weight but part of its 
practice you have to know where to place your hands 
and feet im another thirty feet in the air when i hear 
the crack and look down to see cato flailing as he and 
a branch go down he hits the ground hard and im 
hoping he possibly broke his neck when he gets back 
to his feet swearing like a fiend 
the girl with the arrows glimmer i hear someone call 
her — ugh the names the people in district 1 give 
their children are so ridiculous — anyway glimmer 
scales the tree until the branches begin to crack 
under her feet and then has the good sense to stop 
im at least eighty feet high now she tries to shoot me 
and its immediately evident that shes incompetent 
with a bow one of the arrows gets lodged in the tree 
near me though and im able to seize it i wave it 
teasingly above her head as if this was the sole 
purpose of retrieving it when actually i mean to use it 
if i ever get the chance i could kill them everyone of 
them if those silver weapons were in my hands 
 
the careers regroup on the ground and i can hear 
them growling conspiratorially among themselves 
furious i have made them look foolish but twilight 
has arrived and their window of attack on me is 
closing finally i hear peeta say harshly oh let her 
stay up there its not like shes going anywhere well 
deal with her in the morning 
well hes right about one thing im going nowhere 
all the relief from the pool water has gone leaving me 
to feel the full potency of my burns i scoot down to a 
fork in the tree and clumsily prepare for bed put on 
my jacket lay out my sleeping bed belt myself in 
and try to keep from moaning the heat of the bags 
too much for my leg i cut a slash in the fabric and 
hang my calf out in the open air i drizzle water on 
the wound my hands 
all my bravado is gone im weak from pain and 
hunger but cant bring myself to eat even if i can last 
the night what will the morning bring i stare into 
the foliage trying to will myself to rest but the burns 
forbid it birds are settling down for the night singing 
lullabies to their young night creatures emerge an 
owl hoots the faint scent of a skunk cuts through 
the smoke the eyes of some animal peer at me from 
the neighboring tree — a possum maybe — catching 
the firelight from the careers torches suddenly im 
up on one elbow those are no possums eyes i know 
their glassy reflection too well in fact those are not 
animal eyes at all in the last dim rays of light i make 
her out watching me silently from between the 
branches rue 
how long has she been here the whole time 
probably still and unobserved as the action unfolded 
beneath her perhaps she headed up her tree shortly 
before i did hearing the pack was so close 
 
for a while we hold each others gaze then without 
even rustling a leaf her little hand slides into the 
open and points to something above my head 
 
my eyes follow the line of her finger up into the foliage 
above me at first i have no idea what shes pointing 
to but then about fifteen feet up i make out the 
vague shape in the dimming light but of  of what 
some sort of animal it looks about the size of a 
raccoon but it hangs from the bottom of a branch 
swaying ever so slightly theres something else 
among the familiar evening sounds of the woods my 
ears register a low hum then i know its a wasp 
nest 
fear shoots through me but i have enough sense to 
keep still after all i dont know what kind of wasp 
lives there it could be the ordinary leaveusalone 
andwellleaveyoualone type but these are the 
hunger games and ordinary isnt the norm more 
likely they will be one of the capitols muttations 
tracker j ackers like the jabberjays thesekiller wasps 
were spawned in a lab and strategically placed like 
land mines around the districts during the war 
larger than regular wasps they have a distinctive 
solid gold body and a sting that raises a lump the size 
of a plum on contact most people cant tolerate more 
than a few stings some die at once if you live the 
hallucinations brought on by the venom have actually 
driven people to madness and theres another thing 
these wasps will hunt down anyone who disturbs 
their nest and attempt to kill them thats where the 
tracker part of the name comes from 
after the war the capitol destroyed all the nests 
surrounding their city but the ones near the districts 
were left untouched another reminder of our 
weakness i suppose just like the hunger games 
another reason to keep inside the fence of district 12 
 
when gale and i come across a tracker jacker nest 
we immediately head in the opposite direction 
so is that what hangs above me i look back to rue 
for help but shes melted into her tree 
given my circumstances i guess it doesnt matter 
what type of wasp nest it is im wounded and 
trapped darkness has given me a brief reprieve but 
by the time the sun rises the careers will have 
formulated a plan to kill me theres no way they 
could do otherwise after ive made them look so 
stupid that nest may be the sole option i have left if 
i can drop it down on them i may be able to escape 
but ill risk my life in the process 
of course ill never be able to get in close enough to 
the actual nest to cut it free ill have to saw off the 
branch at the trunk and send the whole thing down 
the serrated portion of my knife should be able to 
manage that but can my hands and will the 
vibration from the sawing raise the swarm and what 
if the careers figure out what im doing and move 
their camp that would defeat the whole purpose 
i realize that the best chance ill have to do the sawing 
without drawing notice will be during the anthem 
that could begin any time i drag myself out of my 
bag make sure my knife is secured in my belt and 
begin to make my way up the tree this in itself is 
dangerous since the branches are becoming 
precariously thin even for me but i persevere when i 
reach the limb that supports the nest the humming 
becomes more distinctive but its still oddly subdued 
if these are tracker jackers its the smoke i think its 
sedated them this was the one defense the rebels 
found to battle the wasps 
 
the seal of the capitol shines above me and the 
anthem blares out its now or never i think and 
begin to saw blisters burst on my right hand as i 
awkwardly drag the knife back and forth once ive 
got a groove the work requires less effort but is 
almost more than i can handle i grit my teeth and 
saw away occasionally glancing at the sky to register 
that there were no deaths today thats all right the 
audience will be sated seeing me injured and treed 
and the pack below me but the anthems running 
out and im only three quarters of the way through 
the wood when the music ends the sky goes dark 
and im forced to stop 
now what i could probably finish off the job by sense 
of feel but that may not be the smartest plan if the 
wasps are too groggy if the nest catches on its way 
down if i try to escape this could all be a deadly 
waste of time better i think to sneak up here at 
dawn and send the nest into my enemies 
in the faint light of the careers torches i inch back 
down to my fork to find the best surprise ive ever 
had sitting on my sleeping bag is a small plastic pot 
attached to a silver parachute my first gift from a 
sponsor haymitch must have had it sent in during 
the anthem the pot easily fits in the palm of my 
hand what can it be not food surely i unscrew the 
lid and i know by the scent that its medicine 
cautiously i probe the surface of the ointment the 
throbbing in my fingertip vanishes 
oh haymitch i whisper thank you he has not 
abandoned me not left me to fend entirely for myself 
the cost of this medicine must be astronomical 
probably not one but many sponsors have 
contributed to buy this one tiny pot to me it is 
priceless 
 
i dip two fingers in the jar and gently spread the balm 
over my calf the effect is almost magical erasing the 
pain on contact leaving a pleasant cooling sensation 
behind this is no herbal concoction that my mother 
grinds up out of woodland plants its hightech 
medicine brewed up in the capitols labs when my 
calf is treated i rub a thin layer into my hands after 
wrapping the pot in the parachute i nestle it safely 
away in my pack now that the pain has eased its all 
i can do to reposition myself in my bag before i plunge 
into sleep 
a bird perched just a few feet from me alerts me that 
a new day is dawning in the gray morning light i 
examine my hands the medicine has transformed all 
the angry red patches to a soft babyskin pink my leg 
still feels inflamed but that burn was far deeper i 
apply another coat of medicine and quietly pack up 
my gear whatever happens im going to have to 
move and move fast i also make myself eat a cracker 
and a strip of beef and drink a few cups of water 
almost nothing stayed in my stomach yesterday and 
im already starting to feel the effects of hunger 
below me i can see the career pack and peeta asleep 
on the ground by her position leaning up against 
the trunk of the tree id guess glimmer was 
supposed to be on guard but fatigue overcame her 
my eyes squint as they try to penetrate the tree next 
to me but i cant make out rue since she tipped me 
off it only seems fair to warn her besides if im going 
to die today its rue i want to win even if it means a 
little extra food for my family the idea of peeta being 
crowned victor is unbearable 
i call rues name in a hushed whisper and the eyes 
appear wide and alert at once she points up to the 
 
nest again i hold up my knife and make a sawing 
motion she nods and disappears theres a rustling 
in a nearby tree then the same noise again a bit 
farther off i realize shes leaping from tree to tree its 
all i can do not to laugh out loud is this what she 
showed the gamemakers i imagine her flying around 
the training equipment never touching the floor she 
should have gotten at least a ten 
rosy streaks are breaking through in the east i cant 
afford to wait any longer compared to the agony of 
last nights climb this one is a cinch at the tree limb 
that holds the nest i position the knife in the groove 
and im about to draw the teeth across the wood 
when i see something moving there on the nest the 
bright gold gleam of a tracker j acker lazily making its 
way across the papery gray surface no question its 
acting a little subdued but the wasp is up and 
moving and that means the others will be out soon as 
well sweat breaks out on the palms of my hands 
beading up through the ointment and i do my best to 
pat them dry on my shirt if i dont get through this 
branch in a matter of seconds the entire swarm 
could emerge and attack me 
theres no sense in putting it off i take a deep breath 
grip the knife handle and bear down as hard as i can 
back forth back forth the tracker jackers begin to 
buzz and i hear them coming out back forth back 
forth a stabbing pain shoots through my knee and i 
know one has found me and the others will be honing 
in back forth back forth and just as the knife cuts 
through i shove the end of the branch as far away 
from me as i can it crashes down through the lower 
branches snagging temporarily on a few but then 
twisting free until it smashes with a thud on the 
ground the nest bursts open like an egg and a 
furious swarm of tracker jackers takes to the air 
 
i feel a second sting on the cheek a third on my neck 
and their venom almost immediately makes me 
woozy i cling to the tree with one arm while i rip the 
barbed stingers out of my flesh fortunately only 
these three tracker jackers had identified me before 
the nest went down the rest of the insects have 
targeted their enemies on the ground 
its mayhem the careers have woken to a fullscale 
tracker jacker attack peeta and a few others have the 
sense to drop everything and bolt i can hear cries of 
to the lake to the lake and know they hope to 
evade the wasps by taking to the water it must be 
close if they think they can outdistance the furious 
insects glimmer and another girl the one from 
district 4 are not so lucky they receive multiple 
stings before theyre even out of my view glimmer 
appears to go completely mad shrieking and trying to 
bat the wasps off with her bow which is pointless 
she calls to the others for help but of course no one 
returns the girl from district 4 staggers out of sight 
although i wouldnt bet on her making it to the lake i 
watch glimmer fall twitch hysterically around on the 
ground for a few minutes and then go still 
the nest is nothing but an empty shell the wasps 
have vanished in pursuit of the others i dont think 
theyll return but i dont want to risk it i scamper 
down the tree and hit the ground running in the 
opposite direction of the lake the poison from the 
stingers makes me wobbly but i find my way back to 
my own little pool and submerge myself in the water 
just in case any wasps are still on my trail after 
about five minutes i drag myself onto the rocks 
people have not exaggerated the effects of the tracker 
jacker stings actually the one on my knee is closer 
to an orange than a plum in size a foul smelling 
green liquid oozes from the places where i pulled out 
the stingers 
 
the swelling the pain the ooze watching glimmer 
twitching to death on the ground its a lot to handle 
before the sun has even cleared the horizon i dont 
want to think about what glimmer must look like 
now her body disfigured her swollen fingers 
stiffening around the bow    
the bow somewhere in my befuddled mind one 
thought connects to another and im on my feet 
teetering through the trees back to glimmer the 
bow the arrows i must get them i havent heard the 
cannons fire yet so perhaps glimmer is in some sort 
of coma her heart still struggling against the wasp 
venom but once it stops and the cannon signals her 
death a hovercraft will move in and retrieve her body 
taking the only bow and sheath of arrows ive seen 
out of the games for good and i refuse to let them 
slip through my fingers again 
i reach glimmer just as the cannon fires the tracker 
jackers have vanished this girl so breathtakingly 
beautiful in her golden dress the night of the 
interviews is unrecognizable her features eradicated 
her limbs three times their normal size the stinger 
lumps have begun to explode spewing putrid green 
liquid around her i have to break several of what 
used to be her fingers with a stone to free the bow 
the sheath of arrows is pinned under her back i try 
to roll over her body by pulling on one arm but the 
flesh disintegrates in my hands and i fall back on the 
ground 
is this real or have the hallucinations begun i 
squeeze my eyes tight and try to breathe through my 
mouth ordering myself not to become sick breakfast 
must stay down it might be days before i can hunt 
again a second cannon fires and im guessing the girl 
from district 4 has just died i hear the birds fall 
silent and then one give the warning call which 
 
means a hovercraft is about to appear confused i 
think its for glimmer although this doesnt quite 
make sense because im still in the picture still 
fighting for the arrows i lurch back onto my knees 
and the trees around me begin to spin in circles in 
the middle of the sky i spot the hovercraft i throw 
myself over glimmers body as if to protect it but then 
i see the girl from district 4 being lifted into the air 
and vanishing 
do this i command myself clenching my jaw i dig 
my hands under glimmers body get a hold on what 
must be her rib cage and force her onto her stomach 
i cant help it im hyperventilating now the whole 
thing is so nightmarish and im losing my grasp on 
whats real i tug on the silver sheath of arrows but 
its caught on something her shoulder blade 
something and finally yank it free ive just encircled 
the sheath with my arms when i hear the footsteps 
several pairs coming through the underbrush and i 
realize the careers have come back theyve come 
back to kill me or get their weapons or both 
but its too late to run i pull a slimy arrow from the 
sheath and try to position it on the bowstring but 
instead of one string i see three and the stench from 
the stings is so repulsive i cant do it i cant do it i 
cant do it 
im helpless as the first hunter crashes through the 
trees spear lifted poised to throw the shock on 
peetas face makes no sense to me i wait for the blow 
instead his arm drops to his side 
what are you still doing here he hisses at me i 
stare uncomprehendingly as a trickle of water drips 
off a sting under his ear his whole body starts 
sparkling as if hes been dipped in dew are you 
mad hes prodding me with the shaft of the spear 
 
now get up get up i rise but hes still pushing at 
me what what is going on he shoves me away 
from him hard runfhe screams run 
behind him cato slashes his way through the brush 
hes sparkling wet too and badly stung under one 
eye i catch the gleam of sunlight on his sword and do 
as peeta says holding tightly to my bow and arrows 
banging into trees that appear out of nowhere 
tripping and falling as i try to keep my balance back 
past my pool and into unfamiliar woods the world 
begins to bend in alarming ways a butterfly balloons 
to the size of a house then shatters into a million 
stars trees transform to blood and splash down over 
my boots ants begin to crawl out of the blisters on 
my hands and i cant shake them free theyre 
climbing up my arms my neck someones 
screaming a long high pitched scream that never 
breaks for breath i have a vague idea it might be me 
i trip and fall into a small pit lined with tiny orange 
bubbles that hum like the tracker jacker nest 
tucking my knees up to my chin i wait for death 
sick and disoriented im able to form only one 
thought peeta mellark just saved my life 
then the ants bore into my eyes and i black out 
 
i enter a nightmare from which i wake repeatedly only 
to find a greater terror awaiting me all the things i 
dread most all the things i dread for others manifest 
in such vivid detail i cant help but believe theyre 
real each time i wake i think at last this is over 
but it isnt its only the beginning of a new chapter of 
torture how many ways do i watch prim die relive 
my fathers last moments feel my own body ripped 
apart this is the nature of the tracker jacker venom 
so carefully created to target the place where fear lives 
in your brain 
when i finally do come to my senses i lie still waiting 
for the next onslaught of imagery but eventually i 
accept that the poison must have finally worked its 
way out of my system leaving my body wracked and 
feeble im still lying on my side locked in the fetal 
position i lift a hand to my eyes to find them sound 
untouched by ants that never existed simply 
stretching out my limbs requires an enormous effort 
so many parts of me hurt it doesnt seem worthwhile 
taking inventory of them very very slowly i manage 
to sit up im in a shallow hole not filled with the 
humming orange bubbles of my hallucination but 
with old dead leaves my clothings damp but i dont 
know whether pond water dew rain or sweat is the 
cause for a long time all i can do is take tiny sips 
from my bottle and watch a beetle crawl up the side of 
a honeysuckle bush 
how long have i been out it was morning when i lost 
reason now its afternoon but the stiffness in my 
joints suggests more than a day has passed even two 
possibly if so 111 have no way of knowing which 
tributes survived that tracker jacker attack not 
 
glimmer or the girl from district 4 but there was the 
boy from district 1 both tributes from district 2 and 
peeta did they die from the stings certainly if they 
lived their last days must have been as horrid as my 
own and what about rue shes so small it wouldnt 
take much venom to do her in but then again  the 
tracker j ackers wouldve had to catch her and she 
had a good head start 
a foul rotten taste pervades my mouth and the water 
has little effect on it i drag myself over to the 
honeysuckle bush and pluck a flower i gently pull 
the stamen through the blossom and set the drop of 
nectar on my tongue the sweetness spreads through 
my mouth down my throat warming my veins with 
memories of summer and my home woods and gales 
presence beside me for some reason our discussion 
from that last morning comes back to me 
we could do it you know 
what 
leave the district run off live in the woods you 
and i we could make it 
and suddenly im not thinking of gale but of peeta 
and  peeta he saved my life i think because by 
the time we met up i couldnt tell what was real and 
what the tracker j acker venom had caused me to 
imagine but if he did and my instincts tell me he 
did what for is he simply working the lover boy 
angle he initiated at the interview or was he actually 
trying to protect me and if he was what was he 
doing with those careers in the first place none of it 
makes sense 
i wonder what gale made of the incident for a 
moment and then i push the whole thing out of my 
 
mind because for some reason gale and peeta do not 
coexist well together in my thoughts 
so i focus on the one really good thing thats 
happened since i landed in the arena i have a bow 
and arrows a full dozen arrows if you count the one i 
retrieved in the tree they bear no trace of the 
noxious green slime that came from glimmers body 
— which leads me to believe that might not have been 
wholly real — but they have a fair amount of dried 
blood on them i can clean them later but i do take a 
minute to shoot a few into a nearby tree they are 
more like the weapons in the training center than my 
ones at home but who cares that i can work with 
the weapons give me an entirely new perspective on 
the games i know i have tough opponents left to 
face but i am no longer merely prey that runs and 
hides or takes desperate measures if cato broke 
through the trees right now i wouldnt flee id shoot 
i find im actually anticipating the moment with 
pleasure 
but first i have to get some strength back in my 
body im very dehydrated again and my water supply 
is dangerously low the little padding i was able to 
put on by gorging myself during prep time in the 
capitol is gone plus several more pounds as well my 
hip bones and ribs are more prominent than i 
remember them being since those awful months after 
my fathers death and then there are my wounds to 
contend with — burns cuts and bruises from 
smashing into the trees and three tracker jacker 
stings which are as sore and swollen as ever i treat 
my burns with the ointment and try dabbing a bit on 
my stings as well but it has no effect on them my 
mother knew a treatment for them some type of leaf 
that could draw out the poison but she seldom had 
 
cause to use it and i dont even remember its name 
let alone its appearance 
water first i think you can hunt along the way now 
its easy to see the direction i came from by the path 
of destruction my crazed body made through the 
foliage so i walk off in the other direction hoping my 
enemies still lie locked in the surreal world of tracker 
j acker venom 
i cant move too quickly my joints reject any abrupt 
motions but i establish the slow hunters tread i use 
when tracking game within a few minutes i spot a 
rabbit and make my first kill with the bow and arrow 
its not my usual clean shot through the eye but 111 
take it after about an hour i find a stream shallow 
but wide and more than sufficient for my needs the 
suns hot and severe so while i wait for my water to 
purify i strip down to my underclothes and wade into 
the mild current im filthy from head to toe i try 
splashing myself but eventually just lay down in the 
water for a few minutes letting it wash off the soot 
and blood and skin that has started to peel off my 
burns after rinsing out my clothes and hanging them 
on bushes to dry i sit on the bank in the sun for a 
bit untangling my hair with my fingers my appetite 
returns and i eat a cracker and a strip of beef with a 
handful of moss i polish the blood from my silver 
weapons 
refreshed i treat my burns again braid back my 
hair and dress in the damp clothes knowing the sun 
will dry them soon enough following the stream 
against its current seems the smartest course of 
action im traveling uphill now which i prefer with a 
source of fresh water not only for myself but possible 
game i easily take out a strange bird that must be 
some form of wild turkey anyway it looks plenty 
edible to me by late afternoon i decide to build a 
 
small fire to cook the meat betting that dusk will help 
conceal the smoke and i can quench the fire by 
nightfall i clean the game taking extra care with the 
bird but theres nothing alarming about it once the 
feathers are plucked its no bigger than a chicken 
but its plump and firm ive just placed the first lot 
over the coals when i hear the twig snap 
in one motion i turn to the sound bringing the bow 
and arrow to my shoulder theres no one there no 
one i can see anyway then i spot the tip of a childs 
boot just peeking out from behind the trunk of a tree 
my shoulders relax and i grin she can move through 
the woods like a shadow you have to give her that 
how else could she have followed me the words 
come out of my mouth before i can stop them 
you know theyre not the only ones who can form 
alliances i say 
for a moment no response then one of rues eyes 
edges around the trunk you want me for an ally 
why not you saved me with those tracker j ackers 
youre smart enough to still be alive and i cant seem 
to shake you anyway i say she blinks at me trying 
to decide you hungry i can see her swallow hard 
her eye flickering to the meat come on then ive had 
two kills today 
rue tentatively steps out into the open i can fix your 
stings 
can you i ask how 
she digs in the pack she carries and pulls out a 
handful of leaves im almost certain theyre the ones 
my mother uses where d you find those 
 
just around we all carry them when we work in the 
orchards they left a lot of nests there says rue 
there are a lot here too 
thats right youre district eleven agriculture i 
say orchards huh that must be how you can fly 
around the trees like youve got wings rue smiles 
ive landed on one of the few things shell admit pride 
in well come on then fix me up 
i plunk down by the fire and roll up my pant leg to 
reveal the sting on my knee to my surprise rue 
places the handful of leaves into her mouth and 
begins to chew them my mother would use other 
methods but its not like we have a lot of options 
after a minute or so rue presses a gloppy green wad 
of chewed leaves and spit on my knee 
ohhh the sound comes out of my mouth before i 
can stop it its as if the leaves are actually leaching 
the pain right out of the sting 
rue gives a giggle lucky you had the sense to pull 
the stingers out or youd be a lot worse 
do my neck do my cheek i almost beg 
rue stuffs another handful of leaves in her mouth 
and soon im laughing because the relief is so sweet i 
notice a long burn on rues forearm ive got 
something for that i set aside my weapons and 
anoint her arm with the burn medicine 
you have good sponsors she says longingly 
have you gotten anything yet i ask she shakes her 
head you will though watch the closer we get to 
the end the more people will realize how clever you 
are i turn the meat over 
 
you werent joking about wanting me for an ally 
she asks 
no i meant it i say i can almost hear haymitch 
groaning as i team up with this wispy child but i 
want her because shes a survivor and i trust her 
and why not admit it she reminds me of prim 
okay she says and holds out her hand we 
shakeits a deal 
of course this kind of deal can only be temporary 
but neither of us mentions that 
rue contributes a big handful of some sort of starchy 
root to the meal roasted over the fire they have the 
sharp sweet taste of a parsnip she recognizes the 
bird too some wild thing they call a groosling in her 
district she says sometimes a flock will wander into 
the orchard and they get a decent lunch that day for 
a while all conversation stops as we fill our 
stomachs the groosling has delicious meal thats so 
fatty the grease drips down your face when you bite 
into it 
oh says rue with a sigh ive never had a whole leg 
to myself before 
ill bet she hasnt ill bet meat hardly ever comes her 
way take the other i say 
really she asks 
take whatever you want now that ive got a bow and 
arrows i can get more plus ive got snares i can 
show you how to set them i say rue still looks 
uncertainly at the leg oh take it i say putting the 
drumstick in her hands it will only keep a few days 
anyway and weve got the whole bird plus the 
 
rabbit once shes got hold of it her appetite wins out 
and she takes a huge mouthful 
id have thought in district eleven youd have a bit 
more to eat than us you know since you grow the 
food i say 
rues eyes widen oh no were not allowed to eat 
the crops 
they arrest you or something i ask 
they whip you and make everyone else watch says 
rue the mayors very strict about it 
i can tell by her expression that its not that 
uncommon an occurrence a public whippings a rare 
thing in district 12 although occasionally one occurs 
technically gale and i could be whipped on a daily 
basis for poaching in the woods — well technically 
we could get a whole lot worse — except all the 
officials buy our meat besides our mayor madges 
father doesnt seem to have much taste for such 
events maybe being the least prestigious poorest 
most ridiculed district in the country has its 
advantages such as being largely ignored by the 
capitol as long as we produce our coal quotas 
do you get all the coal you want rue asks 
no i answer just what we buy and whatever we 
track in on our boots 
they feed us a bit extra during harvest so that 
people can keep going longer says rue 
dont you have to be in school i ask 
not during harvest everyone works then says rue 
 
its interesting hearing about her life we have so 
little communication with anyone outside our district 
in fact i wonder if the gamemakers are blocking out 
our conversation because even though the 
information seems harmless they dont want people 
in different districts to know about one another 
at rues suggestion we lay out all our food to plan 
ahead shes seen most of mine but i add the last 
couple of crackers and beef strips to the pile shes 
gathered quite a collection of roots nuts greens and 
even some berries 
i roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers you sure this 
is safe 
oh yes we have them back home ive been eating 
them for days she says popping a handful in her 
mouth i tentatively bite into one and its as good as 
our blackberries taking rue on as an ally seems a 
better choice all the time we divide up our food 
supplies so in case were separated well both be set 
for a few days apart from the food rue has a small 
water skin a homemade slingshot and an extra pair 
of socks she also has a sharp shard of rock she uses 
as a knife i know its not much she says as if 
embarrassed but i had to get away from the 
cornucopia fast 
you did just right i say when i spread out my gear 
she gasps a little when she sees the sunglasses 
how did you get those she asks 
in my pack theyve been useless so far they dont 
block the sun and they make it harder to see i say 
with a shrug 
 
these arent for sun theyre for darkness exclaims 
rue sometimes when we harvest through the night 
theyll pass out a few pairs to those of us highest in 
the trees where the torchlight doesnt reach one 
time this boy martin he tried to keep his pair hid it 
in his pants they killed him on the spot 
they killed a boy for taking these i say 
yes and everyone knew he was no danger martin 
wasnt right in the head i mean he still acted like a 
threeyearold he just wanted the glasses to play 
with says rue 
hearing this makes me feel like district 12 is some 
sort of safe haven of course people keel over from 
starvation all the time but i cant imagine the 
peacekeepers murdering a simpleminded child 
theres a little girl one of greasy saes grandkids 
who wanders around the hob shes not quite right 
but shes treated as a sort of pet people toss her 
scraps and things 
so what do these do i ask rue taking the glasses 
they let you see in complete darkness says rue 
try them tonight when the sun goes down 
i give rue some matches and she makes sure i have 
plenty of leaves in case my stings flare up again we 
extinguish our fire and head upstream until its 
almost nightfall 
where do you sleep i ask her in the trees she 
nods in just your jacket 
rue holds up her extra pair of socks i have these for 
my hands 
 
i think of how cold the nights have been you can 
share my sleeping bag if you want well both easily 
fit her face lights up i can tell this is more than she 
dared hope for 
we pick a fork high in a tree and settle in for the 
night just as the anthem begins to play there were 
no deaths today 
rue i only woke up today how many nights did i 
missthe anthem should block out our words but 
still i whisper i even take the precaution of covering 
my lips with my hand i dont want the audience to 
know what im planning to tell her about peeta 
taking a cue from me she does the same 
two she says the girls from districts one and 
four are dead theres ten of us left 
something strange happened at least i think it did 
it might have been the tracker j acker venom making 
me imagine things i say you know the boy from my 
district peeta i think he saved my life but he was 
with the careers 
hes not with them now she says ive spied on 
their base camp by the lake they made it back before 
they collapsed from the stingers but hes not there 
maybe he did save you and had to run 
i dont answer if in fact peeta did save me im in his 
debt again and this cant be paid back if he did it 
was all probably just part of his act you know to 
make people think hes in love with me 
oh says rue thoughtfully i didnt think that was 
an act 
 
course it is i say he worked it out with our 
mentor the anthem ends and the sky goes dark 
lets try out these glasses i pull out the glasses and 
slip them on rue wasnt kidding i can see everything 
from the leaves on the trees to a skunk strolling 
through the bushes a good fifty feet away i could kill 
it from here if i had a mind to i could kill anyone 
i wonder who else got a pair of these i say 
the careers have two pairs but theyve got 
everything down by the lake rue says and theyre 
so strong 
were strong too i say just in a different way 
you are you can shoot she says what can i do 
you can feed yourself can they i ask 
they dont need to they have all those supplies 
rue says 
say they didnt say the supplies were gone how 
long would they last i say i mean its the hunger 
games right 
but katniss theyre not hungry says rue 
no theyre not thats the problem i agree and for 
the first time i have a plan a plan that isnt 
motivated by the need for flight and evasion an 
offensive plan i think were going to have to fix that 
rue 
 
rue has decided to trust me wholeheartedly i know 
this because as soon as the anthem finishes she 
snuggles up against me and falls asleep nor do i 
have any misgivings about her as i take no particular 
precautions if shed wanted me dead all she would 
have had to do was disappear from that tree without 
pointing out the tracker jacker nest needling me at 
the very back of my mind is the obvious both of us 
cant win these games but since the odds are still 
against either of us surviving i manage to ignore the 
thought 
besides im distracted by my latest idea about the 
careers and their supplies somehow rue and i must 
find a way to destroy their food im pretty sure 
feeding themselves will be a tremendous struggle 
traditionally the career tributes strategy is to get 
hold of all the food early on and work from there the 
years when they have not protected it well — one year 
a pack of hideous reptiles destroyed it another a 
gamemakers flood washed it away — those are 
usually the years that tributes from other districts 
have won that the careers have been better red 
growing up is actually to their disadvantage because 
they dont know how to be hungry not the way rue 
and i do 
but im too exhausted to begin any detailed plan 
tonight my wounds recovering my mind still a bit 
foggy from the venom and the warmth of rue at my 
side her head cradled on my shoulder have given me 
a sense of security i realize for the first time how 
very lonely ive been in the arena how comforting the 
presence of another human being can be i give in to 
my drowsiness resolving that tomorrow the tables 
 
will turn tomorrow its the careers who will have to 
watch their backs 
the boom of the cannon jolts me awake the skys 
streaked with light the birds already chattering rue 
perches in a branch across from me her hands 
cupping something we wait listening for more shots 
but there arent any 
who do you think that was i cant help thinking of 
peeta 
i dont know it could have been any of the 
others says rue i guess well know tonight 
whos left again i ask 
the boy from district one both tributes from two 
the boy from three thresh and me and you and 
peeta says rue thats eight wait and the boy from 
ten the one with the bad leg he makes nine 
theres someone else but neither of us can remember 
who it is 
i wonder how that last one died says rue 
no telling but its good for us a death should hold 
the crowd for a bit maybe well have time to do 
something before the gamemakers decide things have 
been moving too slowly i say whats in your 
hands 
breakfast says rue she holds them out revealing 
two big eggs 
what kind are those i ask 
 
not sure theres a marshy area over that way some 
kind of waterbird she says 
itd be nice to cook them but neither of us wants to 
risk a fire my guess is the tribute who died today was 
a victim of the careers which means theyve 
recovered enough to be back in the games we each 
suck out the insides of an egg eat a rabbit leg and 
some berries its a good breakfast anywhere 
ready to do it i say pulling on my pack 
do what says rue but by the way she bounces up 
you can tell shes up for whatever i propose 
today we take out the careers food i say 
really how you can see the glint of excitement in 
her eyes in this way shes exactly the opposite of 
prim for whom adventures are an ordeal 
no idea come on well figure out a plan while we 
hunt i say 
we dont get much hunting done though because im 
too busy getting every scrap of information i can out 
of rue about the careers base shes only been in to 
spy on them briefly but shes observant they have 
set up their camp beside the lake their supply stash 
is about thirty yards away during the day theyve 
been leaving another tribute the boy from district 3 
to watch over the supplies 
the boy from district three i ask hes working 
with them 
yes he stays at the camp fulltime he got stung 
too when they drew the tracker j ackers in by the 
 
lake says rue i guess they agreed to let him live if 
he acted as their guard but hes not very big 
what weapons does he have i ask 
not much that i could see a spear he might be able 
to hold a few of us off with that but thresh could kill 
him easilysays rue 
and the foods just out in the open i say she 
nods somethings not quite right about that whole 
setup 
i know but i couldnt tell what exactly says 
ruekatniss even if you could get to the food how 
would you get rid of it 
burn it dump it in the lake soak it in fuel i poke 
rue in the belly just like i would prim eat it she 
giggles dont worry 111 think of something 
destroying things is much easier than making them 
for a while we dig roots we gather berries and 
greens we devise a strategy in hushed voices and i 
come to know rue the oldest of six kids fiercely 
protective of her siblings who gives her rations to the 
younger ones who forages in the meadows in a 
district where the peacekeepers are far less obliging 
than ours rue who when you ask her what she loves 
most in the world replies of all things music 
music i say in our world i rank music somewhere 
between hair ribbons and rainbows in terms of 
usefulness at least a rainbow gives you a tip about 
the weather you have a lot of time for that 
we sing at home at work too thats why i love your 
pin she says pointing to the mockingjay that ive 
again forgotten about 
 
you have mocking ays i ask 
oh yes i have a few that are my special friends we 
can sing back and forth for hours they carry 
messages for me she says 
what do you mean i say 
im usually up highest so im the first to see the flag 
that signals quitting time theres a special little song 
i do says rue she opens her mouth and sings a 
little fournote run in a sweet clear voice and the 
mockingj ays spread it around the orchard thats how 
everyone knows to knock off she continues they 
can be dangerous though if you get too near their 
nests but you cant blame them for that 
i unclasp the pin and hold it out to her here you 
take it it has more meaning for you than me 
oh no says rue closing my fingers back over the 
pin i like to see it on you thats how i decided i 
could trust you besides i have this she pulls a 
necklace woven out of some kind of grass from her 
shirt on it hangs a roughly carved wooden star or 
maybe its a flower its a good luck charm 
well its worked so far i say pinning the 
mockingjay back on my shirt maybe you should just 
stick with that 
by lunch we have a plan by early afternoon we are 
poised to carry it out i help rue collect and place the 
wood for the first two campfires the third shell have 
time for on her own we decide to meet afterward at 
the site where we ate our first meal together the 
stream should help guide me back to it before i 
leave i make sure rues well stocked with food and 
 
matches i even insist she take my sleeping bag in 
case its not possible to rendezvous by nightfall 
what about you wont you be cold she asks 
not if i pick up another bag down by the lake i 
say you know stealing isnt illegal here i say with a 
grin 
at the last minute rue decides to teach me her 
mockingj ay signal the one she gives to indicate the 
days work is done it might not work but if you hear 
the mockingjays singing it youll know im okay only 
i cant get back right away 
are there many mockingjays here i ask 
havent you seen them theyve got nests 
everywhere she says i have to admit i havent 
noticed 
okay then if all goes according to plan 111 see you 
for dinner i say 
unexpectedly rue throws her arms around me i only 
hesitate a moment before i hug her back 
you be careful she says to me 
you too i say i turn and head back to the stream 
feeling somehow worried about rue being killed 
about rue not being killed and the two of us being left 
for last about leaving rue alone about leaving prim 
alone back home no prim has my mother and gale 
and a baker who has promised she wont go hungry 
rue has only me 
once i reach the stream i have only to follow it 
downhill to the place i initially picked it up after the 
 
tracker jacker attack i have to be cautious as i move 
along the water though because i find my thoughts 
preoccupied with unanswered questions most of 
which concern peeta the cannon that fired early this 
morning did that signify his death if so how did he 
die at the hand of a career and was that in revenge 
for letting me live i struggle again to remember that 
moment over glimmers body when he burst through 
the trees but just the fact that he was sparkling 
leads me to doubt everything that happened 
i must have been moving very slowly yesterday 
because i reach the shallow stretch where i took my 
bath in just a few hours i stop to replenish my water 
and add a layer of mud to my backpack it seems 
bent on reverting to orange no matter how many 
times i cover it 
my proximity to the careers camp sharpens my 
senses and the closer i get to them the more 
guarded i am pausing frequently to listen for 
unnatural sounds an arrow already fitted into the 
string of my bow i dont see any other tributes but i 
do notice some of the things rue has mentioned 
patches of the sweet berries a bush with the leaves 
that healed my stings clusters of tracker jacker nests 
in the vicinity of the tree i was trapped in and here 
and there the blackandwhite flash of a mockingjay 
wing in the branches high over my head 
when i reach the tree with the abandoned nest at the 
foot i pause a moment to gather my courage rue 
has given specific instructions on how to reach the 
best spying place near the lake from this point 
remember i tell myself youre the hunter now not 
them i get a firmer grasp on my bow and go on i 
make it to the copse rue has told me about and again 
have to admire her cleverness its right at the edge of 
the wood but the bushy foliage is so thick down low i 
 
can easily observe the career camp without being 
spotted between us lies the flat expanse where the 
games began 
there are four tributes the boy from district 1 cato 
and the girl from district 2 and a scrawny ashen 
skinned boy who must be from district 3 he made 
almost no impression on me at all during our time in 
the capitol i can remember almost nothing about 
him not his costume not his training score not his 
interview even now as he sits there fiddling with 
some kind of plastic box hes easily ignored in the 
presence of his large and domineering companions 
but he must be of some value or they wouldnt have 
bothered to let him live still seeing him only adds to 
my sense of unease over why the careers would 
possibly leave him as a guard why they have allowed 
him to live at all 
all four tributes seem to still be recovering from the 
tracker jacker attack even from here i can see the 
large swollen lumps on their bodies they must not 
have had the sense to remove the stingers or if they 
did not known about the leaves that healed them 
apparently whatever medicines they found in the 
cornucopia have been ineffective 
the cornucopia sits in its original position but its 
insides have been picked clean most of the supplies 
held in crates burlap sacks and plastic bins are 
piled neatly in a pyramid in what seems a 
questionable distance from the camp others are 
sprinkled around the perimeter of the pyramid 
almost mimicking the layout of supplies around the 
cornucopia at the onset of the games a canopy of 
netting that aside from discouraging birds seems to 
be useless shelters the pyramid itself 
 
the whole setup is completely perplexing the 
distance the netting and the presence of the boy 
from district 3 one things for sure destroying those 
supplies is not going to be as simple as it looks some 
other factor is at play here and id better stay put 
until i figure out what it is my guess is the pyramid 
is boobytrapped in some manner i think of 
concealed pits descending nets a thread that when 
broken sends a poisonous dart into your heart 
really the possibilities are endless 
while i am mulling over my options i hear cato shout 
out hes pointing up to the woods far beyond me 
and without turning i know that rue must have set 
the first campfire wed made sure to gather enough 
green wood to make the smoke noticeable the 
careers begin to arm themselves at once 
an argument breaks out its loud enough for me to 
hear that it concerns whether or not the boy from 
district 3 should stay or accompany them 
hes coming we need him in the woods and his 
jobs done here anyway no one can touch those 
supplies says cato 
what about lover boy says the boy from district 1  
i keep telling you forget about him i know where i 
cut him its a miracle he hasnt bled to death yet at 
any rate hes in no shape to raid us says cato 
so peeta is out there in the woods wounded badly 
but i am still in the dark on what motivated him to 
betray the careers 
come on says cato he thrusts a spear into the 
hands of the boy from district 3 and they head off in 
the direction of the fire the last thing i hear as they 
 
enter the woods is cato saying when we find her i 
kill her in my own way and no one interferes 
somehow i dont think hes talking about rue she 
didnt drop a nest of tracker jackers on him 
i stay put for a half an hour or so trying to figure out 
what to do about the supplies the one advantage i 
have with the bow and arrow is distance i could send 
a flaming arrow into the pyramid easily enough — im 
a good enough shot to get it through those openings 
in the net — but theres no guarantee it would catch 
more likely itd just burn itself out and then what id 
have achieved nothing and given them far too much 
information about myself that i was here that i have 
an accomplice that i can use the bow and arrow with 
accuracy 
theres no alternative im going to have to get in 
closer and see if i cant discover what exactly protects 
the supplies in fact im just about to reveal myself 
when a movement catches my eye several hundred 
yards to my right i see someone emerge from the 
woods for a second i think its rue but then i 
recognize foxface — shes the one we couldnt 
remember this morning — creeping out onto the plain 
when she decides its safe she runs for the pyramid 
with quick small steps just before she reaches the 
circle of supplies that have been littered around the 
pyramid she stops searches the ground and 
carefully places her feet on a spot then she begins to 
approach the pyramid with strange little hops 
sometimes landing on one foot teetering slightly 
sometimes risking a few steps at one point she 
launches up in the air over a small barrel and lands 
poised on her tiptoes but she overshot slightly and 
her momentum throws her forward i hear her give a 
sharp squeal as her hands hit the ground but 
nothing happens in a moment shes regained her 
 
feet and continues until she has reached the bulk of 
the supplies 
so im right about the booby trap but its clearly 
more complex than i had imagined i was right about 
the girl too how wily is she to have discovered this 
path into the food and to be able to replicate it so 
neatly she fills her pack taking a few items from a 
variety of containers crackers from a crate a handful 
of apples from a burlap sack that hangs suspended 
from a rope off the side of a bin but only a handful 
from each not enough to tip off that the food is 
missing not enough to cause suspicion and then 
shes doing her odd little dance back out of the circle 
and scampering into the woods again safe and 
sound 
i realize im grinding my teeth in frustration foxface 
has confirmed what id already guessed but what 
sort of trap have they laid that requires such 
dexterity has so many trigger points why did she 
squeal so as her hands made contact with the earth 
youd have thought  and slowly it begins to dawn on 
me  youd have thought the very ground was going 
to explode 
its mined i whisper that explains everything the 
careers willingness to leave their supplies foxfaces 
reaction the involvement of the boy from district 3 
where they have the factories where they make 
televisions and automobiles and explosives but 
where did he get them in the supplies thats not 
the sort of weapon the gamemakers usually provide 
given that they like to see the tributes draw blood 
personally i slip out of the bushes and cross to one of 
the round metal plates that lifted the tributes into the 
arena the ground around it has been dug up and 
patted back down the land mines were disabled after 
the sixty seconds we stood on the plates but the boy 
 
from district 3 must have managed to reactivate 
them ive never seen anyone in the games do that i 
bet it came as a shock even to the gamemakers 
well hurray for the boy from district 3 for putting 
one over on them but what am i supposed to do 
now obviously i cant go strolling into that mess 
without blowing myself skyhigh as for sending in a 
burning arrow thats more laughable than ever the 
mines are set off by pressure it doesnt have to be a 
lot either one year a girl dropped her token a small 
wooden ball while she was at her plate and they 
literally had to scrape bits of her off the ground 
my arms pretty good i might be able to chuck some 
rocks in there and set off what maybe one mine 
that could start a chain reaction or could it would 
the boy from district 3 have placed the mines in such 
a way that a single mine would not disturb the 
others thereby protecting the supplies but ensuring 
the death of the invader even if i only blew up one 
mine id draw the careers back down on me for sure 
and anyway what am i thinking theres that net 
clearly strung to deflect any such attack besides 
what id really need is to throw about thirty rocks in 
there at once setting off a big chain reaction 
demolishing the whole lot 
i glance back up at the woods the smoke from rues 
second fire is wafting toward the sky by now the 
careers have probably begun to suspect some sort of 
trick time is running out 
there is a solution to this i know there is if i can 
only focus hard enough i stare at the pyramid the 
bins the crates too heavy to topple over with an 
arrow maybe one contains cooking oil and the 
burning arrow idea is reviving when i realize i could 
end up losing all twelve of my arrows and not get a 
 
direct hit on an oil bin since id just be guessing im 
genuinely thinking of trying to recreate foxfaces trip 
up to the pyramid in hopes of finding a new means of 
destruction when my eyes light on the burlap bag of 
apples i could sever the rope in one shot didnt i do 
as much in the training center its a big bag but it 
still might only be good for one explosion if only i 
could free the apples themselves  
i know what to do i move into range and give myself 
three arrows to get the job done i place my feet 
carefully block out the rest of the world as i take 
meticulous aim the first arrow tears through the side 
of the bag near the top leaving a split in the burlap 
the second widens it to a gaping hole i can see the 
first apple teetering when i let the third arrow go 
catching the torn flap of burlap and ripping it from 
the bag 
for a moment everything seems frozen in time then 
the apples spill to the ground and im blown 
backward into the air 
 
the impact with the hardpacked earth of the plain 
knocks the wind out of me my backpack does little to 
soften the blow fortunately my quiver has caught in 
the crook of my elbow sparing both itself and my 
shoulder and my bow is locked in my grasp the 
ground still shakes with explosions i cant hear them 
i cant hear anything at the moment but the apples 
must have set off enough mines causing debris to 
activate the others i manage to shield my face with 
my arms as shattered bits of matter some of it 
burning rain down around me an acrid smoke fills 
the air which is not the best remedy for someone 
trying to regain the ability to breathe 
after about a minute the ground stops vibrating i 
roll on my side and allow myself a moment of 
satisfaction the sight of the smoldering wreckage that 
was recently the pyramid the careers arent likely to 
salvage anything out of that 
id better get out of here i think they 11 be making a 
beeline for the place but once im on my feet i realize 
escape may not be so simple im dizzy not the 
slightly wobbly kind but the kind that sends the 
trees swooping around you and causes the earth to 
move in waves under your feet 
i take a few steps and somehow wind up on my hands 
and knees i wait a few minutes to let it pass but it 
doesnt 
panic begins to set in i cant stay here flight is 
essential but i can neither walk nor hear i place a 
hand to my left ear the one that was turned toward 
the blast and it comes away bloody have i gone deaf 
 
from the explosion the idea frightens me i rely as 
much on my ears as my eyes as a hunter maybe 
more at times but i cant let my fear show 
absolutely positively i am live on every screen in 
panem 
no blood trails i tell myself and manage to pull my 
hood up over my head tie the cord under my chin 
with uncooperative fingers that should help soak up 
the blood i cant walk but can i crawl i move 
forward tentatively yes if i go very slowly i can 
crawl most of the woods will offer insufficient cover 
my only hope is to make it back to rues copse and 
conceal myself in greenery i cant get caught out here 
on my hands and knees in the open not only will i 
face death its sure to be a long and painful one at 
catos hand the thought of prim having to watch 
that keeps me doggedly inching my way toward the 
hideout 
another blast knocks me flat on my face a stray 
mine set off by some collapsing crate this happens 
twice more im reminded of those last few kernels 
that burst when prim and i pop corn over the fire at 
home 
to say i make it in the nick of time is an 
understatement i have literally just dragged myself 
into the tangle of hushes at the base of the trees 
when theres cato barreling onto the plain soon 
followed by his companions his rage is so extreme it 
might be comical — so people really do tear out their 
hair and beat the ground with their fists — if i didnt 
know that it was aimed at me at what i have done to 
him add to that my proximity my inability to run or 
defend myself and in fact the whole thing has me 
terrified im glad my hiding place makes it impossible 
for the cameras to get a close shot of me because im 
biting my nails like theres no tomorrow gnawing off 
 
the last bits of nail polish trying to keep my teeth 
from chattering 
the boy from district 3 throws stones into the ruins 
and must have declared all the mines activated 
because the careers are approaching the wreckage 
cato has finished the first phase of his tantrum and 
takes out his anger on the smoking remains by 
kicking open various containers the other tributes 
are poking around in the mess looking for anything 
to salvage but theres nothing the boy from district 
3 has done his job too well this idea must occur to 
cato too because he turns on the boy and appears 
to be shouting at him the boy from district 3 only 
has time to turn and run before cato catches him in a 
headlock from behind i can see the muscles ripple in 
catos arms as he sharply jerks the boys head to the 
side 
its that quick the death of the boy from district 3 
the other two careers seem to be trying to calm cato 
down i can tell he wants to return to the woods but 
they keep pointing at the sky which puzzles me until 
i realize of course they think whoever set off the 
explosions is dead 
they dont know about the arrows and the apples 
they assume the booby trap was faulty but that the 
tribute who blew up the supplies was killed doing it if 
there was a cannon shot it could have been easily 
lost in the subsequent explosions the shattered 
remains of the thief removed by hovercraft they 
retire to the far side of the lake to allow the 
gamemakers to retrieve the body of the boy from 
district 3 and they wait 
 
i suppose a cannon goes off a hovercraft appears and 
takes the dead boy the sun dips below the horizon 
night falls up in the sky i see the seal and know the 
anthem must have begun a moment of darkness 
they show the boy from district 3 they show the boy 
from district 10 who must have died this morning 
then the seal reappears so now they know the 
bomber survived in the seals light i can see cato 
and the girl from district 2 put on their nightvision 
glasses the boy from district 1 ignites a tree branch 
for a torch illuminating the grim determination on all 
their faces the careers stride back into the woods to 
hunt 
the dizziness has subsided and while my left ear is 
still deafened i can hear a ringing in my right which 
seems a good sign theres no point in leaving my 
hiding place though im about as safe as i can be 
here at the crime scene they probably think the 
bomber has a two or threehour lead on them still 
its a long time before i risk moving 
the first thing i do is dig out my own glasses and put 
them on which relaxes me a little to have at least 
one of my hunters senses working i drink some 
water and wash the blood from my ear fearing the 
smell of meat will draw unwanted predators — fresh 
blood is bad enough — i make a good meal out of the 
greens and roots and berries rue and i gathered 
today 
where is my little ally did she make it back to the 
rendezvous point is she worried about me at least 
the sky has shown were both alive 
i run through the surviving tributes on my fingers 
the boy from 1 both from 2 foxface both from 1 1 
and 12 just eight of us the betting must be getting 
really hot in the capitol theyll be doing special 
 
features on each of us now probably interviewing our 
friends and families its been a long time since a 
tribute from district 12 made it into the top eight 
and now there are two of us although from what 
cato said peetas on his way out not that cato is the 
final word on anything didnt he just lose his entire 
stash of supplies 
let the seventyfourth hunger games begin cato i 
think let them begin for real 
a cold breeze has sprung up i reach for my sleeping 
bag before i remember i left it with rue i was 
supposed to pick up another one but what with the 
mines and all i forgot i begin to shiver since 
roosting overnight in a tree isnt sensible anyway i 
scoop out a hollow under the bushes and cover 
myself with leaves and pine needles im still freezing 
i lay my sheet of plastic over my upper body and 
position my backpack to block the wind its a little 
better i begin to have more sympathy for the girl from 
district 8 that lit the fire that first night but now its 
me who needs to grit my teeth and tough it out until 
morning more leaves more pine needles i pull my 
arms inside my jacket and tuck my knees up to my 
chest somehow i drift off to sleep 
when i open my eyes the world looks slightly 
fractured and it takes a minute to realize that the 
sun must be well up and the glasses fragmenting my 
vision as i sit up and remove them i hear a laugh 
somewhere near the lake and freeze the laughs 
distorted but the fact that it registered at all means i 
must be regaining my hearing yes my right ear can 
hear again although its still ringing as for my left 
ear well at least the bleeding has stopped 
i peer through the bushes afraid the careers have 
returned trapping me here for an indefinite time no 
 
its foxface standing in the rubble of the pyramid 
and laughing shes smarter than the careers 
actually finding a few useful items in the ashes a 
metal pot a knife blade im perplexed by her 
amusement until i realize that with the careers 
stores eliminated she might actually stand a chance 
just like the rest of us it crosses my mind to reveal 
myself and enlist her as a second ally against that 
pack but i rule it out theres something about that 
sly grin that makes me sure that befriending foxface 
would ultimately get me a knife in the back with that 
in mind this might be an excellent time to shoot her 
but shes heard something not me because her head 
turns away toward the dropoff and she sprints for 
the woods i wait no one nothing shows up still if 
foxface thought it was dangerous maybe its time for 
me to get out of here too besides im eager to tell 
rue about the pyramid 
since ive no idea where the careers are the route 
back by the stream seems as good as any i hurry 
loaded bow in one hand a hunk of cold groosling in 
the other because im famished now and not just for 
leaves and berries but for the fat and protein in the 
meat the trip to the stream is uneventful once 
there i refill my water and wash taking particular 
care with my injured ear then i travel uphill using 
the stream as a guide at one point i find boot prints 
in the mud along the bank the careers have been 
here but not for a while the prints are deep because 
they were made in soft mud but now theyre nearly 
dry in the hot sun i havent been careful enough 
about my own tracks counting on a light tread and 
the pine needles to conceal my prints now i strip off 
my boots and socks and go barefoot up the bed of the 
stream 
the cool water has an invigorating effect on my body 
my spirits i shoot two fish easy pickings in this slow 
 
moving stream and go ahead and eat one raw even 
though ive just had the groosling the second ill save 
for rue 
gradually subtly the ringing in my right ear 
diminishes until its gone entirely i find myself 
pawing at my left ear periodically trying to clean 
away whatever deadens its ability to collect sounds if 
theres improvement its undetectable i cant adjust 
to deafness in the ear it makes me feel offbalanced 
and defenseless to my left blind even my head keeps 
turning to the injured side as my right ear tries to 
compensate for the wall of nothingness where 
yesterday there was a constant flow of information 
the more time that passes the less hopeful i am that 
this is an injury that will heal 
when i reach the site of our first meeting i feel 
certain its been undisturbed theres no sign of rue 
not on the ground or in the trees this is odd by now 
she should have returned as its midday 
undoubtedly she spent the night in a tree 
somewhere what else could she do with no light and 
the careers with their nightvision glasses tramping 
around the woods and the third fire she was 
supposed to set — although i forgot to check for it 
last night — was the farthest from our site of all 
shes probably just being cautious about making her 
way back i wish shed hurry because i dont want to 
hang around here too long i want to spend the 
afternoon traveling to higher ground hunting as we 
go but theres nothing really for me to do but wait 
i wash the blood out of my jacket and hair and clean 
my evergrowing list of wounds the burns are much 
better but i use a bit of medicine on them anyway 
the main thing to worry about now is keeping out 
infection i go ahead and eat the second fish it isnt 
going to last long in this hot sun but it should be 
 
easy enough to spear a few more for rue if she would 
just show up 
feeling too vulnerable on the ground with my 
lopsided hearing i scale a tree to wait if the careers 
show up this will be a fine place to shoot them from 
the sun moves slowly i do things to pass the time 
chew leaves and apply them to my stings that are 
deflated but still tender comb through my damp hair 
with my fingers and braid it lace my boots back up 
check over my bow and remaining nine arrows test 
my left ear repeatedly for signs of life by rustling a leaf 
near it but without good results 
despite the groosling and the fish my stomachs 
growling and i know im going to have what we call a 
hollow day back in district 12 thats a day where no 
matter what you put in your belly its never enough 
having nothing to do but sit in a tree makes it worse 
so i decide to give into it after all ive lost a lot of 
weight in the arena i need some extra calories and 
having the bow and arrows makes me far more 
confident about my future prospects 
i slowly peel and eat a handful of nuts my last 
cracker the groosling neck thats good because it 
takes time to pick clean finally a groosling wing and 
the bird is history but its a hollow day and even 
with all that i start daydreaming about food 
particularly the decadent dishes served in the capitol 
the chicken in creamy orange sauce the cakes and 
pudding bread with butter noodles in green sauce 
the lamb and dried plum stew i suck on a few mint 
leaves and tell myself to get over it mint is good 
because we drink mint tea after supper often so it 
tricks my stomach into thinking eating time is over 
sort of 
 
dangling up in the tree with the sun warming me a 
mouthful of mint my bow and arrows at hand    this 
is the most relaxed ive been since ive entered the 
arena if only rue would show up and we could clear 
out as the shadows grow so does my restlessness 
by late afternoon ive resolved to go looking for her i 
can at least visit the spot where she set the third fire 
and see if there are any clues to her whereabouts 
before i go i scatter a few mint leaves around our old 
camp fire since we gathered these some distance 
away rue will understand ive been here while theyll 
mean nothing to the careers 
in less than an hour im at the place where we agreed 
to have the third fire and i know something has gone 
amiss the wood has been neatly arranged expertly 
interspersed with tinder but it has never been lit 
rue set up the fire but never made it back here 
somewhere between the second column of smoke i 
spied before i blew up the supplies and this point she 
ran into trouble 
i have to remind myself shes still alive or is she 
could the cannon shot announcing her death have 
come in the wee hours of the morning when even my 
good ear was too broken to pick it up will she 
appear in the sky tonight no i refuse to believe it 
there could be a hundred other explanations she 
could have lost her way run into a pack of predators 
or another tribute like thresh and had to hide 
whatever happened im almost certain shes stuck 
out there somewhere between the second fire and the 
unlit one at my feet something is keeping her up a 
tree 
i think ill go hunt it down 
 
its a relief to be doing something after sitting around 
all afternoon i creep silently through the shadows 
letting them conceal me but nothing seems 
suspicious theres no sign of any kind of struggle no 
disruption of the needles on the ground ive stopped 
for just a moment when i hear it i have to cock my 
head around to the side to be sure but there it is 
again rues fournote tune coming out of a 
mockingj ays mouth the one that means shes all 
right 
i grin and move in the direction of the bird another 
just a short distance ahead picks up on the handful 
of notes rue has been singing to them and recently 
otherwise theyd have taken up some other song my 
eyes lift up into the trees searching for a sign of her i 
swallow and sing softly back hoping shell know its 
safe to join me a mockingj ay repeats the melody to 
me and thats when i hear the scream 
its a childs scream a young girls scream theres no 
one in the arena capable of making that sound except 
rue and now im running knowing this may be a 
trap knowing the three careers may be poised to 
attack me but i cant help myself theres another 
highpitched cry this time my name katniss 
katniss 
rue i shout back so she knows im near so they 
know im near and hopefully the girl who has 
attacked them with tracker j ackers and gotten an 
eleven they still cant explain will be enough to pull 
their attention away from her rue im coming 
when i break into the clearing shes on the ground 
hopelessly entangled in a net she just has time to 
reach her hand through the mesh and say my name 
before the spear enters her body 
 
the boy from district 1 dies before he can pull out the 
spear my arrow drives deeply into the center of his 
neck he falls to his knees and halves the brief 
remainder of his life by yanking out the arrow and 
drowning in his own blood im reloaded shifting my 
aim from side to side while i shout at rue are there 
more are there more 
she has to say no several times before i hear it rue 
has rolled to her side her body curved in and around 
the spear i shove the boy away from her and pull out 
my knife freeing her from the net one look at the 
wound and i know its far beyond my capacity to heal 
beyond anyones probably the spearhead is buried 
up to the shaft in her stomach i crouch before her 
staring helplessly at the embedded weapon theres 
no point in comforting words in telling her shell be 
all right shes no fool her hand reaches out and i 
clutch it like a lifeline as if its me whos dying 
instead of rue 
you blew up the food she whispers 
every last bit i say 
you have to win she says 
im going to going to win for both of us now i 
promise i hear a cannon and look up it must be for 
the boy from district 1  
dont go rue tightens her grip on my hand 
 
course not staying right here i say i move in 
closer to her pulling her head onto my lap i gently 
brush the dark thick hair back behind her ear 
sing she says but i barely catch the word 
sing i think sing whati do know a few songs 
believe it or not there was once music in my house 
too music i helped make my father pulled me in with 
that remarkable voice — but i havent sung much 
since he died except when prim is very sick then i 
sing her the same songs she liked as a baby 
sing my throat is tight with tears hoarse from smoke 
and fatigue but if this is prims i mean rues last 
request i have to at least try the song that comes to 
me is a simple lullaby one we sing fretful hungry 
babies to sleep with its old very old i think made up 
long ago in our hills what my music teacher calls a 
mountain air but the words are easy and soothing 
promising tomorrow will be more hopeful than this 
awful piece of time we call today 
i give a small cough swallow hard and begin 
deep in the meadow under the willow 
a bed of grass a soft green pillow 
lay down your head and close your sleepy eyes 
and when again they open the sun will rise 
here its safe here its 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 
rues eyes have fluttered shut her chest moves but 
only slightly my throat releases the tears and they 
slide down my cheeks but i have to finish the song 
for her 
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 its morning theyll wash away 
here its safe here its warm 
here the daisies guard you from every harm 
the final lines are barely audible 
here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings 
them true 
here is the place where i love you 
everythings still and quiet then almost eerily the 
mockingj ays take up my song 
for a moment i sit there watching my tears drip 
down on her face rues cannon fires i lean forward 
and press my lips against her temple slowly as if not 
to wake her i lay her head back on the ground and 
release her hand 
theyll want me to clear out now so they can collect 
the bodies and theres nothing to stay for i roll the 
boy from district 1 onto his face and take his pack 
retrieve the arrow that ended his life i cut rues pack 
 
from her back as well knowing shed want me to have 
it but leave the spear in her stomach weapons in 
bodies will be transported to the hovercraft ive no 
use for a spear so the sooner its gone from the arena 
the better 
i cant stop looking at rue smaller than ever a baby 
animal curled up in a nest of netting i cant bring 
myself to leave her like this past harm but seeming 
utterly defenseless to hate the boy from district 1 
who also appears so vulnerable in death seems 
inadequate its the capitol i hate for doing this to all 
of us 
gales voice is in my head his ravings against the 
capitol no longer pointless no longer to be ignored 
rues death has forced me to confront my own fury 
against the cruelty the injustice they inflict upon us 
but here even more strongly than at home i feel my 
impotence theres no way to take revenge on the 
capitol is there 
then i remember peetas words on the roof only i 
keep wishing i could think of a way to  to show the 
capital they dont own me that im more than just a 
piece in their games and for the first time i 
understand what he means 
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 cant own that rue was 
more than a piece in their games and so am i 
a few steps into the woods grows a bank of 
wildflowers perhaps they are really weeds of some 
sort but they have blossoms in beautiful shades of 
violet and yellow and white i gather up an armful 
and come back to rues side slowly one stem at a 
 
time i decorate her body in the flowers covering the 
ugly wound wreathing her face weaving her hair 
with bright colors 
theyll have to show it or even if they choose to turn 
the cameras elsewhere at this moment theyll have to 
bring them back when they collect the bodies and 
everyone will see her then and know i did it i step 
back and take a last look at rue she could really be 
asleep in that meadow after all 
bye rue i whisper i press the three middle fingers 
of my left hand against my lips and hold them out in 
her direction then i walk away without looking back 
the birds fall silent somewhere a mockingjay gives 
the warning whistle that precedes the hovercraft i 
dont know how it knows it must hear things that 
humans cant i pause my eyes focused on whats 
ahead not whats happening behind me it doesnt 
take long then the general birdsong begins again and 
i know shes gone 
another mockingjay a young one by the look of it 
lands on a branch before me and bursts out rues 
melody 
my song the hovercraft were too unfamiliar for this 
novice to pick up but it has mastered her handful of 
notes the ones that mean shes safe 
good and safe i say as i pass under its branch we 
dont have to worry about her now good and safe 
ive no idea where to go the brief sense of home i had 
that one night with rue has vanished my feet wander 
this way and that until sunset im not afraid not 
even watchful which makes me an easy target 
except id kill anyone i met on sight without emotion 
 
or the slightest tremor in my hands my hatred of the 
capitol has not lessened my hatred of my competitors 
in the least especially the careers they at least 
can be made to pay for rues death 
no one materializes though there arent many of us 
left and its a big arena soon theyll be pulling out 
some other device to force us together but theres 
been enough gore today perhaps well even get to 
sleep 
im about to haul my packs into a tree to make camp 
when a silver parachute floats down and lands in 
front of me a gift from a sponsor but why now ive 
been in fairly good shape with supplies maybe 
haymitchs noticed my despondency and is trying to 
cheer me up a bit or could it be something to help 
my ear 
i open the parachute and find a small loaf of bread 
its not the fine white capitol stuff its made of dark 
ration grain and shaped in a crescent sprinkled with 
seeds i flash back to peetas lesson on the various 
district breads in the training center this bread 
came from district 1 1  i cautiously lift the still warm 
loaf what must it have cost the people of district 1 1 
who cant even feed themselves how many would ve 
had to do without to scrape up a coin to put in the 
collection for this one loaf it had been meant for 
rue surely but instead of pulling the gift when she 
died theyd authorized haymitch to give it to me as a 
thankyou or because like me they dont like to let 
debts go unpaid for whatever reason this is a first 
a district gift to a tribute whos not your own 
i lift my face and step into the last falling rays of 
sunlight my thanks to the people of district eleven 
i say i want them to know i know where it came 
 
from that the full value of their gift has been 
recognized 
i climb dangerously high into a tree not for safety but 
to get as far away from today as i can my sleeping 
bag is rolled neatly in rues pack tomorrow ill sort 
through the supplies tomorrow ill make a new plan 
but tonight all i can do is strap myself in and take 
tiny bites of the bread its good it tastes of home 
soon the seals in the sky the anthem plays in my 
right ear i see the boy from district 1 rue thats all 
for tonight six of us left i think only six with the 
bread still locked in my hands i fall asleep at once 
sometimes when things are particularly bad my 
brain will give me a happy dream a visit with my 
father in the woods an hour of sunlight and cake 
with prim tonight it sends me rue still decked in 
her flowers perched in a high sea of trees trying to 
teach me to talk to the mockingjays i see no sign of 
her wounds no blood just a bright laughing girl she 
sings songs ive never heard in a clear melodic voice 
on and on through the night theres a drowsy in 
between period when i can hear the last few strains of 
her music although shes lost in the leaves when i 
fully awaken im momentarily comforted i try to hold 
on to the peaceful feeling of the dream but it quickly 
slips away leaving me sadder and lonelier than ever 
heaviness infuses my whole body as if theres liquid 
lead in my veins ive lost the will to do the simplest 
tasks to do anything but lie here staring 
unblinkingly through the canopy of leaves for 
several hours i remain motionless as usual its the 
thought of prims anxious face as she watches me on 
the screens back home that breaks me from my 
lethargy 
 
i give myself a series of simple commands to follow 
like now you have to sit up katniss now you have 
to drink water katniss i act on the orders with slow 
robotic motions now you have to sort the packs 
katniss 
rues pack holds my sleeping bag her nearly empty 
water skin a handful of nuts and roots a bit of 
rabbit her extra socks and her slingshot the boy 
from district 1 has several knives two spare 
spearheads a flashlight a small leather pouch a 
firstaid kit a full bottle of water and a pack of dried 
fruit a pack of dried fruit out of all he might have 
chosen from to me this is a sign of extreme 
arrogance why bother to carry food when you have 
such a bounty back at camp when you will kill your 
enemies so quickly youll be home before youre 
hungry i can only hope the other careers traveled so 
lightly when it came to food and now find themselves 
with nothing 
speaking of which my own supply is running low i 
finish off the loaf from district 1 1 and the last of the 
rabbit how quickly the food disappears all i have left 
are rues roots and nuts the boys dried fruit and 
one strip of beef now you have to hunt katniss i tell 
myself 
i obediently consolidate the supplies i want into my 
pack after i climb down the tree i conceal the boys 
knives and spearheads in a pile of rocks so that no 
one else can use them ive lost my bearings what 
with all the wandering around i did yesterday 
evening but i try and head back in the general 
direction of the stream i know im on course when i 
come across rues third unlit fire shortly thereafter 
i discover a flock of grooslings perched in the trees 
and take out three before they know what hit them i 
return to rues signal fire and start it up not caring 
 
about the excessive smoke where are you cato i 
think as i roast the birds and rues roots im waiting 
right here 
who knows where the careers are now either too far 
to reach me or too sure this is a trick or  is it 
possible too scared of me they know i have the 
bow and arrows of course cato saw me take them 
from glimmers body but have they put two and two 
together yet figured out i blew up the supplies and 
killed their fellow career possibly they think thresh 
did this wouldnt he be more likely to revenge rues 
death than i would being from the same district not 
that he ever took any interest in her 
and what about foxface did she hang around to 
watch me blow up the supplies no when i caught 
her laughing in the ashes the next morning it was as 
if someone had given her a lovely surprise 
i doubt they think peeta has lit this signal fire catos 
sure hes as good as dead i find myself wishing i 
could tell peeta about the flowers i put on rue that i 
now understand what he was trying to say on the 
roof perhaps if he wins the games hell see me on 
victors night when they replay the highlights of the 
games on a screen over the stage where we did our 
interviews the winner sits in a place of honor on the 
platform surrounded by their support crew 
but i told rue id be there for both of us and 
somehow that seems even more important than the 
vow i gave prim 
i really think i stand a chance of doing it now 
winning its not just having the arrows or 
outsmarting the careers a few times although those 
things help something happened when i was holding 
rues hand watching the life drain out of her now i 
 
am determined to revenge her to make her loss 
unforgettable and i can only do that by winning and 
thereby making myself unforgettable 
i overcook the birds hoping someone will show up to 
shoot but no one does maybe the other tributes are 
out there beating one another senseless which would 
be fine ever since the bloodbath ive been featured 
on screens most than i care 
eventually i wrap up my food and go back to the 
stream to replenish my water and gather some but 
the heaviness from the morning drapes back over me 
and even though its only early evening i climb a tree 
and settle in for the night my brain begins to replay 
the events from yesterday i keep seeing rue speared 
my arrow piercing the boys neck i dont know why i 
should even care about the boy 
then i realize  he was my first kill 
along with other statistics they report to help people 
place their bets every tribute has a list of kills i 
guess technically id get credited for glimmer and the 
girl from district 4 too for dumping that nest on 
them but the boy from district 1 was the first person 
i knew would die because of my actions numerous 
animals have lost their lives at my hands but only 
one human i hear gale saying how different can it 
be really 
amazingly similar in the execution a bow pulled an 
arrow shot entirely different in the aftermath i killed 
a boy whose name i dont even know somewhere his 
family is weeping for him his friends call for my 
blood maybe he had a girlfriend who really believed 
he would come back    
 
but then i think of rues still body and im able to 
banish the boy from my mind at least for now 
its been an uneventful day according to the sky no 
deaths i wonder how long well get until the next 
catastrophe drives us back together if its going to be 
tonight i want to get some sleep first i cover my good 
ear to block out the strains of the anthem but then i 
hear the trumpets and sit straight up in anticipation 
for the most part the only communication the 
tributes get from outside the arena is the nightly 
death toll but occasionally there will be trumpets 
followed by an announcement usually this will be a 
call to a feast when food is scarce the gamemakers 
will invite the players to a banquet somewhere 
known to all like the cornucopia as an inducement 
to gather and fight sometimes there is a feast and 
sometimes theres nothing but a loaf of stale bread for 
the tributes to compete for i wouldnt go in for the 
food but this could be an ideal time to take out a few 
competitors 
claudius templesmiths voice booms down from 
overhead congratulating the six of us who remain 
but he is not inviting us to a feast hes saying 
something very confusing theres been a rule change 
in the games a rule change that in itself is mind 
bending since we dont really have any rules to speak 
of except dont step off your circle for sixty seconds 
and the unspoken rule about not eating one another 
under the new rule both tributes from the same 
district will be declared winners if they are the last 
two alive claudius pauses as if he knows were not 
getting it and repeats the change again 
the news sinks in two tributes can win this year if 
theyre from the same district both can live both of 
us can live 
 
before i can stop myself i call out peetas name 
 
part iii 
the victor 
 
i clap my hands over my mouth but the sound has 
already escaped the sky goes black and i hear a 
chorus of frogs begin to sing stupid i tell 
myself what a stupid thing to do i wait frozen for 
the woods to come alive with assailants then i 
remember theres almost no one left 
peeta whos been wounded is now my ally whatever 
doubts ive had about him dissipate because if either 
of us took the others life now wed be pariahs when 
we returned to district 12 in fact i know if i was 
watching id loathe any tribute who didnt 
immediately ally with their district partner besides it 
just makes sense to protect each other and in my 
case — being one of the starcrossed lovers from 
district 12 — its an absolute requirement if i want 
any more help from sympathetic sponsors 
the starcrossed lovers    peeta must have been 
playing that angle all along why else would the 
gamemakers have made this unprecedented change 
in the rules for two tributes to have a shot at 
winning our romance must be so popular with the 
audience that condemning it would jeopardize the 
success of the games no thanks to me all ive done 
is managed not to kill peeta but whatever hes done 
in the arena he must have the audience convinced it 
was to keep me alive shaking his head to keep me 
from running to the cornucopia fighting cato to let 
me escape even hooking up with the careers must 
have been a move to protect me peeta it turns out 
has never been a danger to me 
 
the thought makes me smile i drop my hands and 
hold my face up to the moonlight so the cameras can 
be sure to catch it 
so who is there left to be afraid of foxface the boy 
tribute from her district is dead shes operating 
alone at night and her strategy has been to evade 
not attack i dont really think that even if she heard 
my voice shed do anything but hope someone else 
would kill me 
then theres thresh all right hes a distinct threat 
but i havent seen him not once since the games 
began i think about how foxface grew alarmed when 
she heard a sound at the site of the explosion but 
she didnt turn to the woods she turned to whatever 
lies across from it to that area of the arena that 
drops off into i dont know what i feel almost certain 
that the person she ran from was thresh and that is 
his domain hed never have heard me from there 
and even if he did im up too high for someone his 
size to reach 
so that leaves cato and the girl from district 2 who 
are now surely celebrating the new rule theyre the 
only ones left who benefit from it besides peeta and 
myself do i run from them now on the chance they 
heard me call peetas namenoi think let them 
come let them come with their nightvision glasses 
and their heavy branchbreaking bodies 
right into the range of my arrows but i know they 
wont if they didnt come in daylight to my fire they 
wont risk what could be another trap at night when 
they come it will be on their own terms not because 
ive let them know my whereabouts 
 
stay put and get some sleep katnissi instruct 
myself although i wish i could start tracking peeta 
now tomorrow youll find him 
i do sleep but in the morning im extra cautious 
thinking that while the careers might hesitate to 
attack me in a tree theyre completely capable of 
setting an ambush for me i make sure to fully 
prepare myself for the day — eating a big breakfast 
securing my pack readying my weapons — before i 
descend but all seems peaceful and undisturbed on 
the ground 
today 111 have to be scrupulously careful the 
careers will know im trying to locate peeta they may 
well want to wait until i do before they move in if hes 
as badly wounded as cato thinks id be in the 
position of having to defend us both without any 
assistance but if hes that incapacitated how has he 
managed to stay alive and how on earth will i find 
him 
i try to think of anything peeta ever said that might 
give me an indication as to where hes hiding out but 
nothing rings a bell so i go back to the last moment i 
saw him sparkling in the sunlight yelling at me to 
run then cato appeared his sword drawn and after 
i was gone he wounded peeta but how did peeta get 
away maybe hed held out better against the tracker 
j acker poison than cato 
maybe that was the variable that allowed him to 
escape but hed been stung too so how far could he 
have gotten stabbed and filled with venom and how 
has he stayed alive all these days since if the wound 
and the stingers havent killed him surely thirst 
would have taken him by now 
 
and thats when i get my first clue to his 
whereabouts he couldnt have survived without 
water i know that from my first few days here he 
must be hidden somewhere near a source theres the 
lake but i find that an unlikely option since its so 
close to the careers base camp a few springfed 
pools but youd really be a sitting duck at one of 
those and the stream the one that leads from the 
camp rue and i made all the way down near the lake 
and beyond if he stuck to the stream he could 
change his location and always be near water he 
could walk in the current and erase any tracks he 
might even be able to get a fish or two 
well its a place to start anyway 
to confuse my enemies minds i start a fire with 
plenty of green wood even if they think its a ruse i 
hope theyll decide im hidden somewhere near it 
while in reality ill be tracking peeta 
the sun burns off the morning haze almost 
immediately and i can tell the day will be hotter than 
usual the waters cool and pleasant on my bare feet 
as i head downstream im tempted to call out peetas 
name as i go but decide against it i will have to find 
him with my eyes and one good ear or he will have to 
find me but hell know 111 be looking right he wont 
have so low of an opinion of me as to think id ignore 
the new rule and keep to myself would he hes very 
hard to predict which might be interesting under 
different circumstances but at the moment only 
provides an extra obstacle 
it doesnt take long to reach the spot where i peeled 
off to go the careers camp theres been no sign of 
peeta but this doesnt surprise me ive been up and 
down this stretch three times since the tracker jacker 
incident if he were nearby surely id have had some 
 
suspicion of it the stream begins to curve to the left 
into a part of the woods thats new to me muddy 
banks covered in tangled water plants lead to large 
rocks that increase in size until i begin to feel 
somewhat trapped it would be no small matter to 
escape the stream now fighting off cato or thresh as 
i climbed over this rocky terrain in fact ive just 
about decided im on the wrong track entirely that a 
wounded boy would be unable to navigate getting to 
and from this water source when i see the bloody 
streak going down the curve of a boulder its long 
dried now but the smeary lines running side to side 
suggest someone — who perhaps was not fully in 
control of his mental faculties — tried to wipe it away 
hugging the rocks i move slowly in the direction of 
the blood searching for him i find a few more 
bloodstains one with a few threads of fabric glued to 
it but no sign of life i break down and say his name 
in a hushed voice peeta peeta then a mockingjay 
lands on a scruffy tree and begins to mimic my tones 
so i stop i give up and climb back down to the stream 
thinking he must have moved on somewhere farther 
down 
my foot has just broken the surface of the water when 
i hear a voice 
you here to finish me off sweetheart 
i whip around its come from the left so i cant pick 
it up very well and the voice was hoarse and weak 
still it must have been peeta who else in the arena 
would call me sweetheart my eyes peruse the bank 
but theres nothing just mud the plants the base of 
the rocks 
peeta i whisper where are you theres no 
answer could i just have imagined it no im certain 
 
it was real and very close at hand too peeta i 
creep along the bank 
well dont step on me 
i jump back his voice was right under my feet still 
theres nothing then his eyes open unmistakably 
blue in the brown mud and green leaves i gasp and 
am rewarded with a hint of white teeth as he laughs 
its 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 
close your eyes again i order he does and his 
mouth too and completely disappears most of what 
i judge to be his body is actually under a layer of mud 
and plants his face and arms are so artfully 
disguised as to be invisible i kneel beside him i 
guess all those hours decorating cakes paid off 
peeta smiles yes frosting the final defense of the 
dying 
youre not going to die i tell him firmly says who 
his voice is so ragged says me were on the same 
team now you know i tell him 
his eyes open so i heard nice of you to find whats 
left of me 
i pull out my water bottle and give him a drink did 
cato cut you i ask 
left leg up high he answers 
 
lets get you in the stream wash you off so i can see 
what kind of wounds youve got i say 
lean down a minute first he says need to tell you 
something i lean over and put my good ear to his 
lips which tickle as he whispers remember were 
madly in love so its all right to kiss me anytime you 
feel like it 
i jerk my head back but end up laughing thanks 111 
keep it in mind at least hes still able to joke 
around but when i start to help him to the stream 
all the levity disappears its only two feet away how 
hard can it be very hard when i realize hes unable 
to move an inch on his own hes so weak that the 
best he can do is not to resist i try to drag him but 
despite the fact that i know hes doing all he can to 
keep quiet sharp cries of pain escape him the mud 
and plants seem to have imprisoned him and i finally 
have to give a gigantic tug to break him from their 
clutches hes still two feet from the water lying 
there teeth gritted tears cutting trails in the dirt on 
his face 
look peeta im going to roll you into the stream its 
very shallow here okay i say 
excellent he says 
i crouch down beside him no matter what happens i 
tell myself dont stop until hes in the water on 
three i say one two three i can only manage one 
full roll before i have to stop because of the horrible 
sound hes making now hes on the edge of the 
stream maybe this is better anyway 
okay change of plans im not going to put you all 
the way in i tell him besides if i get him in who 
knows if id ever be able to get him out 
 
no more rolling he asks 
thats all done lets get you cleaned up keep an eye 
on the woods for me okay i say its hard to know 
where to start he so caked with mud and matted 
leaves i cant even see his clothes if hes wearing 
clothes the thought makes me hesitate a moment 
but then i plunge in naked bodies are no big deal in 
the arena right 
ive got two water bottles and rues water skin i prop 
them against rocks in the stream so that two are 
always filling while i pour the third over peetas body 
it takes a while but i finally get rid of enough mud to 
find his clothes i gently unzip his jacket unbutton 
his shirt and ease them off him his undershirt is so 
plastered into his wounds i have to cut it away with 
my knife and drench him again to work it loose hes 
badly bruised with a long burn across his chest and 
four tracker j acker stings if you count the one under 
his ear but i feel a bit better this much i can fix i 
decide to take care of his upper body first to alleviate 
some pain before i tackle whatever damage cato did 
to his leg 
since treating his wounds seems pointless when hes 
lying in whats become a mud puddle i manage to 
prop him up against a boulder he sits there 
uncomplaining while i wash away all the traces of 
dirt from his hair and skin his flesh is very pale in 
the sunlight and he no longer looks strong and 
stocky i have to dig the stingers out of his tracker 
jacker lumps which causes him to wince but the 
minute i apply the leaves he sighs in relief while he 
dries in the sun i wash his filthy shirt and jacket and 
spread them over boulders then i apply the burn 
cream to his chest this is when i notice how hot his 
skin is becoming the layer of mud and the bottles of 
water have disguised the fact that hes burning with 
 
fever i dig through the firstaid kit i got from the boy 
from district 1 and find pills that reduce your 
temperature my mother actually breaks down and 
buys these on occasion when her home remedies fail 
swallow these i tell him and he obediently takes 
the medicine you must be hungry 
not really its funny i havent been hungry for 
days says peeta in fact when i offer him groosling 
he wrinkles his nose at it and turns away thats 
when i know how sick he is 
peeta we need to get some food in you i insist 
itll just come right back up he says the best i can 
do is to get him to eat a few bits of dried apple 
thanks im much better really can i sleep now 
katniss he asks 
soon i promise i need to look at your leg 
first trying to be as gentle as i can i remove his 
boots his socks and then very slowly inch his pants 
off of him i can see the tear catos sword made in the 
fabric over his thigh but it in no way prepares me for 
what lies underneath the deep inflamed gash oozing 
both blood and pus the swelling of the leg and worst 
of all the smell of festering flesh 
i want to run away disappear into the woods like i 
did that day they brought the burn victim to our 
house go and hunt while my mother and prim 
attend to what i have neither the skill nor the courage 
to face but theres no one here but me i try to 
capture the calm demeanor my mother assumes 
when handling particularly bad cases 
pretty awful huh says peeta hes watching me 
closely 
 
soso i shrug like its no big deal you should see 
some of the people they bring my mother from the 
mines i refrain from saying how i usually clear out 
of the house whenever shes treating anything worse 
than a cold come to think of it i dont even much 
like to be around coughing first thing is to clean it 
well 
ive left on peetas undershorts because theyre not in 
bad shape and i dont want to pull them over the 
swollen thigh and all right maybe the idea of him 
being naked makes me uncomfortable thats another 
thing about my mother and prim nakedness has no 
effect on them gives them no cause for 
embarrassment ironically at this point in the 
games my little sister would be of far more use to 
peeta than i am i scoot my square of plastic under 
him so i can wash down the rest of him with each 
bottle i pour over him the worse the wound looks 
the rest of his lower body has fared pretty well just 
one tracker j acker sting and a few small burns that i 
treat quickly but the gash on his leg  what on earth 
can i do for that 
why dont we give it some air and then  i trail off 
and then youll patch it up says peeta he looks 
almost sorry for me as if he knows how lost i am 
thats right i say in the meantime you eat 
these i put a few dried pear halves in his hand and 
go back in the stream to wash the rest of his clothes 
when theyre flattened out and drying i examine the 
contents of the firstaid kit its pretty basic stuff 
bandages fever pills medicine to calm stomachs 
nothing of the caliber ill need to treat peeta 
were going to have to experiment some i admit i 
know the tracker jacker leaves draw out infection so i 
 
start with those within minutes of pressing the 
handful of chewedup green stuff into the wound pus 
begins running down the side of his leg i tell myself 
this is a good thing and bite the inside of my cheek 
hard because my breakfast is threatening to make a 
reappearance 
katniss peeta says i meet his eyes knowing my 
face must be some shade of green he mouths the 
words how about that kiss 
i burst out laughing because the whole thing is so 
revolting i cant stand it 
something wrong he asks a little too innocently 
i  im no good at this im not my mother ive no 
idea what im doing and i hate pus i say euh i 
allow myself to let out a groan as i rinse away the first 
round of leaves and apply the second euuuh 
how do you hunt he asks 
trust me killing things is much easier than this i 
say although for all i know i am killing you 
can you speed it up a little he asks 
no shut up and eat your pears i say 
after three applications and what seems like a bucket 
of pus the wound does look better now that the 
swelling has gone down i can see how deep catos 
sword cut right down to the bone 
what next dr everdeen he asks 
maybe 111 put some of the burn ointment on it i 
think it helps with infection anyway and wrap it up 
 
i say i do and the whole thing seems a lot more 
manageable covered in clean white cotton although 
against the sterile bandage the hem of his 
undershorts looks filthy and teeming with contagion i 
pull out rues backpack here cover yourself with 
this and 111 wash your shorts 
oh i dont care if you see me says peeta 
youre just like the rest of my family i say i care 
all right i turn my back and look at the stream until 
the undershorts splash into the current he must be 
feeling a bit better if he can throw 
you know youre kind of squeamish for such a lethal 
person says peeta as i beat the shorts clean between 
two rocks i wish id let you give haymitch a shower 
after all 
i wrinkle my nose at the memory whats he sent you 
so far 
not a thing says peeta then theres a pause as it 
hits him why did you get something 
burn medicine i say almost sheepishly oh and 
some bread 
i always knew you were his favorite says peeta 
please he cant stand being in the same room with 
me i say 
because youre just alike mutters peeta i ignore it 
though because this really isnt the time for me to be 
insulting haymitch which is my first impulse 
 
i let peeta doze off while his clothes dry out but by 
late afternoon i dont dare wait any longer i gently 
shake his shoulder peeta weve got to go now 
go he seems confused go where 
away from here downstream maybe somewhere we 
can hide you until youre stronger i say i help him 
dress leaving his feet bare so we can walk in the 
water and pull him upright his face drains of color 
the moment he puts weight on his leg come on you 
can do this 
but he cant not for long anyway we make it about 
fifty yards downstream with him propped up by my 
shoulder and i can tell hes going to black out i sit 
him on the bank push his head between his knees 
and pat his back awkwardly as i survey the area of 
course id love to get him up in a tree but thats not 
going to happen it could be worse though some of 
the rocks form small cavelike structures i set my 
sights on one about twenty yards above the stream 
when peetas able to stand i halfguide halfcarry 
him up to the cave really id like to look around for 
a better place but this one will have to do because 
my ally is shot paper white panting and even 
though its only just cooling off hes shivering 
i cover the floor of the cave with a layer of pine 
needles unroll my sleeping bag and tuck him into it 
i get a couple of pills and some water into him when 
hes not noticing but he refuses to eat even the fruit 
then he just lies there his eyes trained on my face as 
i build a sort of blind out of vines to conceal the 
mouth of the cave the result is unsatisfactory an 
animal might not question it but a human would see 
hands had manufactured it quickly enough i tear it 
down in frustration 
 
katniss he says i go over to him and brush the 
hair back from his eyes thanks for finding me 
you would have found me if you could i say his 
foreheads burning up like the medicines having no 
effect at all suddenly out of nowhere im scared hes 
going to die 
yes look if i dont make it back —  he begins 
dont talk like that i didnt drain all that pus for 
nothing i say 
i know but just in case i dont —  he tries to 
continue 
no peeta i dont even want to discuss it i say 
placing my fingers on his lips to quiet him 
but i —  he insists 
impulsively i lean forward and kiss him stopping his 
words this is probably overdue anyway since hes 
right we are supposed to be madly in love its the 
first time ive ever kissed a boy which should make 
some sort of impression i guess but all i can register 
is how unnaturally hot his lips are from the fever i 
break away and pull the edge of the sleeping bag up 
around him youre not going to die i forbid it all 
right 
all right he whispers 
i step out in the cool evening air just as the parachute 
floats down from the sky my fingers quickly undo the 
tie hoping for some real medicine to treat peetas leg 
instead i find a pot of hot broth 
 
haymitch couldnt be sending me a clearer message 
one kiss equals one pot of broth i can almost hear 
his snarl youre supposed to be in love sweetheart 
the boys dying give me something i can work with 
and hes right if i want to keep peeta alive ive got to 
give the audience something more to care about star 
crossed lovers desperate to get home together two 
hearts beating as one romance 
never having been in love this is going to be a real 
trick i think of my parents the way my father never 
failed to bring her gifts from the woods the way my 
mothers face would light up at the sound of his boots 
at the door the way she almost stopped living when 
he died 
peeta i say trying for the special tone that my 
mother used only with my father hes dozed off 
again but i kiss him awake which seems to startle 
him then he smiles as if hed be happy to lie there 
gazing at me forever hes great at this stuff 
i hold up the pot peeta look what haymitch has 
sent you 
 
19 
getting the broth into peeta takes an hour of coaxing 
begging threatening and yes kissing but finally sip 
by sip he empties the pot i let him drift off to sleep 
then and attend to my own needs wolfing down a 
supper of groosling and roots while i watch the daily 
report in the sky no new casualties still peeta and i 
have given the audience a fairly interesting day 
hopefully the gamemakers will allow us a peaceful 
night 
i automatically look around for a good tree to nest in 
before i realize thats over at least for a while i cant 
very well leave peeta unguarded on the ground i left 
the scene of his last hiding place on the bank of the 
stream untouched — how could i conceal it — and 
were a scant fifty yards downstream i put on my 
glasses place my weapons in readiness and settle 
down to keep watch 
the temperature drops rapidly and soon im chilled to 
the bone eventually i give in and slide into the 
sleeping bag with peeta its toasty warm and i 
snuggle down gratefully until i realize its more than 
warm its overly hot because the bag is reflecting 
back his fever i check his forehead and find it 
burning and dry i dont know what to do leave him 
in the bag and hope the excessive heat breaks the 
fever take him out and hope the night air cools him 
off i end up just dampening a strip of bandage and 
placing it on his forehead it seems weak but im 
afraid to do anything too drastic 
i spend the night half sitting halflying next to peeta 
refreshing the bandage and trying not to dwell on the 
fact that by teaming up with him ive made myself far 
 
more vulnerable than when i was alone tethered to 
the ground on guard with a very sick person to take 
care of but i knew he was injured and still i came 
after him im just going to have to trust that 
whatever instinct sent me to find him was a good one 
when the sky turns rosy i notice the sheen of sweat 
on peetas lip and discover the fever has broken hes 
not back to normal but its come down a few degrees 
last night when i was gathering vines i came upon a 
bush of rues berries i strip off the fruit and mash it 
up in the broth pot with cold water 
peetas struggling to get up when i reach the cave i 
woke up and you were gone he says i was worried 
about you 
i have to laugh as i ease him back down you were 
worried about me have you taken a look at yourself 
lately 
i thought cato and clove might have found you 
they like to hunt at night he says still serious 
clove which one is that i ask 
the girl from district two shes still alive righthe 
says 
yes theres just them and us and thresh and 
foxfacei say thats what i nicknamed the girl from 
five how do you feel 
better than yesterday this is an enormous 
improvement over the mud he says clean clothes 
and medicine and a sleeping bag  and you 
oh right the whole romance thing i reach out to 
touch his cheek and he catches my hand and presses 
 
it against his lips i remember my father doing this 
very thing to my mother and i wonder where peeta 
picked it up surely not from his father and the witch 
no more kisses for you until youve eaten i say 
we get him propped up against the wall and he 
obediently swallows the spoonfuls of the berry mush i 
feed him he refuses the groosling again though 
you didnt sleep peeta says 
im all right i say but the truth is im exhausted 
sleep now ill keep watch ill wake you if anything 
happens he says i hesitate katniss you cant stay 
up forever 
hes got a point there ill have to sleep eventually 
and probably better to do it now when he seems 
relatively alert and we have daylight on our side all 
right i say but just for a few hours then you wake 
me 
its too warm for the sleeping bag now i smooth it out 
on the cave floor and lie down one hand on my 
loaded bow in case i have to shoot at a moments 
notice peeta sits beside me leaning against the wall 
his bad leg stretched out before him his eyes trained 
on the world outside go to sleep he says softly his 
hand brushes the loose strands of my hair off my 
forehead unlike the staged kisses and caresses so 
far this gesture seems natural and comforting i dont 
want him to stop and he doesnt hes still stroking 
my hair when i fall asleep 
too long i sleep too long i know from the moment i 
open my eyes that were into the afternoon peetas 
right beside me his position unchanged i sit up 
 
feeling somehow defensive but better rested than ive 
been in days 
peeta you were supposed to wake me after a couple 
of hours i say 
for what nothings going on here he says 
besides i like watching you sleep you dont scowl 
improves your looks a lot 
this of course brings on a scowl that makes him 
grin thats when i notice how dry his lips are i test 
his cheek hot as a coal stove he claims hes been 
drinking but the containers still feel full to me i give 
him more fever pills and stand over him while he 
drinks first one then a second quart of water then i 
tend to his minor wounds the burns the stings 
which are showing improvement i steel myself and 
unwrap the leg 
my heart drops into my stomach its worse much 
worse theres no more pus in evidence but the 
swelling has increased and the tight shiny skin is 
inflamed then i see the red streaks starting to crawl 
up his leg blood poisoning unchecked it will kill 
him for sure my chewedup leaves and ointment 
wont make a dent in it well need strong anti 
infection drugs from the capitol i cant imagine the 
cost of such potent medicine if haymitch pooled 
every donation from every sponsor would he have 
enough i doubt it gifts go up in price the longer the 
games continue what buys a full meal on day one 
buys a cracker on day twelve and the kind of 
medicine peeta needs would have been at a premium 
from the beginning 
well theres more swelling but the pus is gone i 
say in an unsteady voice 
 
i know what blood poisoning is katniss says 
peetaeven if my mother isnt a healer 
youre just going to have to outlast the others peeta 
theyll cure it back at the capitol when we win i say 
yes thats a good plan he says but i feel this is 
mostly for my benefit 
you have to eat keep your strength up im going to 
make you soup i say 
dont light a fire he says its not worth it 
well see i say as i take the pot down to the 
stream im struck by how brutally hot it is i swear 
the gamemakers are progressively ratcheting up the 
temperature in the daytime and sending it 
plummeting at night the heat of the sunbaked 
stones by the stream gives me an idea though maybe 
i wont need to light a fire 
i settle down on a big flat rock halfway between the 
stream and the cave after purifying half a pot of 
water i place it in direct sunlight and add several 
egg size hot stones to the water im the first to admit 
im not much of a cook but since soup mainly 
involves tossing everything in a pot and waiting its 
one of my better dishes i mince groosling until its 
practically mush and mash some of rues roots 
fortunately theyve both been roasted already so they 
mostly need to be heated up already between the 
sunlight and the rocks the waters warm i put in the 
meat and roots swap in fresh rocks and go find 
something green to spice it up a little before long i 
discover a tuft of chives growing at the base of some 
rocks perfect i chop them very fine and add them to 
the pot switch out the rocks again put on the lid 
and let the whole thing stew 
 
ive seen very few signs of game around but i dont 
feel comfortable leaving peeta alone while i hunt so i 
rig half a dozen snares and hope i get lucky i wonder 
about the other tributes how theyre managing now 
that their main source of food has been blown up at 
least three of them cato clove and foxface had 
been relying on it probably not thresh though ive 
got a feeling he must share some of rues knowledge 
on how to feed yourself from the earth are they 
fighting each other looking for us maybe one of 
them has located us and is just waiting for the right 
moment to attack the idea sends me back to the 
cave 
peetas stretched out on top of the sleeping bag in the 
shade of the rocks although he brightens a bit when 
i come in its clear he feels miserable i put cool 
cloths on his head but they warm up almost as soon 
as they touch his skin 
do you want anything i ask 
no he says thank you wait yes tell me a story 
a story what about i say im not much for 
storytelling its kind of like singing but once in a 
while prim wheedles one out of me 
something happy tell me about the happiest day 
you can remember says peeta 
something between a sigh and a huff of exasperation 
leaves my mouth a happy story this will require a 
lot more effort than the soup i rack my brains for 
good memories most of them involve gale and me out 
hunting and somehow i dont think these will play 
well with either peeta or the audience that leaves 
prim 
 
did i ever tell you about how i got prims goat i 
ask peeta shakes his head and looks at me 
expectantly so i begin but carefully because my 
words are going out all over panem and while people 
have no doubt put two and two together that i hunt 
illegally i dont want to hurt gale or greasy sae or 
the butcher or even the peacekeepers back home who 
are my customers by publicly announcing theyd 
breaking the law too 
heres the real story of how i got the money for prims 
goat lady it was a friday evening the day before 
prims tenth birthday in late may as soon as school 
ended gale and i hit the woods because i wanted to 
get enough to trade for a present for prim maybe 
some new cloth for a dress or a hairbrush our 
snares had done well enough and the woods were 
flush with greens but this was really no more than 
our average friday night haul i was disappointed as 
we headed back even though gale said wed be sure 
to do better tomorrow we were resting a moment by 
a stream when we saw him a young buck probably a 
yearling by his size his antlers were just growing in 
still small and coated in velvet poised to run but 
unsure of us unfamiliar with humans beautiful 
less beautiful perhaps when the two arrows caught 
him one in the neck the other in the chest gale and 
i had shot at the same time the buck tried to run 
but stumbled and gales knife slit his throat before 
he knew what had happened momentarily id felt a 
pang at killing something so fresh and innocent and 
then my stomach rumbled at the thought of all that 
fresh and innocent meat 
a deer gale and i have only brought down three in 
all the first one a doe that had injured her leg 
somehow almost didnt count but we knew from that 
experience not to go dragging the carcass into the 
 
hob it had caused chaos with people bidding on 
parts and actually trying to hack off pieces 
themselves greasy sae had intervened and sent us 
with our deer to the butcher but not before itd been 
badly damaged hunks of meat taken the hide riddled 
with holes although everybody paid up fairly it had 
lowered the value of the kill 
this time we waited until dark fell and slipped under 
a hole in the fence close to the butcher even though 
we were known hunters it wouldnt have been good 
to go carrying a 150pound deer through the streets 
of district 12 in daylight like we were rubbing it in the 
officials faces 
the butcher a short chunky woman named rooba 
came to the back door when we knocked you dont 
haggle with rooba she gives you one price which 
you can take or leave but its a fair price we took her 
offer on the deer and she threw in a couple of venison 
steaks we could pick up after the butchering even 
with the money divided in two neither gale nor i had 
held so much at one time in our lives we decided to 
keep it a secret and surprise our families with the 
meat and money at the end of the next day 
this is where i really got the money for the goat but i 
tell peeta i sold an old silver locket of my mothers 
that cant hurt anyone then i pick up the story in 
the late afternoon of prims birthday 
gale and i went to the market on the square so that i 
could buy dress materials as i was running my 
fingers over a length of thick blue cotton cloth 
something caughtmyeye theres an old man who 
keeps a small herd of goats on the other side of the 
seam i dont know his real name everyone just calls 
him the goat man his joints are swollen and twisted 
in painful angles and hes got a hacking cough that 
 
proves he spent years in the mines but hes lucky 
somewhere along the way he saved up enough for 
these goats and now has something to do in his old 
age besides slowly starve to death hes filthy and 
impatient but the goats are clean and their milk is 
rich if you can afford it 
one of the goats a white one with black patches was 
lying down in a cart it was easy to see why 
something probably a dog had mauled her shoulder 
and infection had set in it was bad the goat man 
had to hold her up to milk her but i thought i knew 
someone who could fix it 
gale i whispered i want that goat for prim 
owning a nanny goat can change your life in district 
12 the animals can live off almost anything the 
meadows a perfect feeding place and they can give 
four quarts of milk a day to drink to make into 
cheese to sell its not even against the law 
shes hurt pretty bad said gale we better take a 
closer look 
we went over and bought a cup of milk to share then 
stood over the goat as if idly curious 
let her be said the man 
just looking said gale 
well look fast she goes to the butcher soon hardly 
anyone will buy her milk and then they only pay half 
price said the man 
whats the butcher giving for her i asked 
 
the man shrugged hang around and see i turned 
and saw rooba coming across the square toward us 
lucky thing you showed up said the goat man 
when she arrived girls got her eye on your goat 
not if shes spoken for i said carelessly 
rooba looked me up and down then frowned at the 
goat shes not look at that shoulder bet you half 
the carcass will be too rotten for even sausage 
what said the goat man we had a deal 
we had a deal on an animal with a few teeth marks 
not that thing sell her to the girl if shes stupid 
enough to take her said rooba as she marched off 
i caught her wink 
the goat man was mad but he still wanted that goal 
off his hands it took us half an hour to agree on the 
price quite a crowd had gathered by then to hand 
out opinions it was an excellent deal if the goat lived 
id been robbed if she died people took sides in the 
argument but i took the goat 
gale offered to carry her i think he wanted to see the 
look on prims face as much as i did in a moment of 
complete giddiness i bought a pink ribbon and tied it 
around her neck then we hurried back to my house 
you should have seen prims reaction when we 
walked in with that goat remember this is a girl who 
wept to save that awful old cat buttercup she was 
so excited she started crying and laughing all at once 
my mother was less sure seeing the injury but the 
pair of them went to work on it grinding up herbs 
and coaxing brews down the animals throat 
 
they sound like you says peeta i had almost 
forgotten he was there 
oh no peeta they work magic that thing couldnt 
have died if it tried i say but then i bite my tongue 
realizing what that must sound like to peeta who is 
dying in my incompetent hands 
dont worry im not trying he jokes finish the 
story 
well thats it only i remember that night prim 
insisted on sleeping with lady on a blanket next to 
the fire and just before they drifted off the goat 
licked her cheek like it was giving her a good night 
kiss or something i say it was already mad about 
her 
was it still wearing the pink ribbon he asks 
i think so i say why 
im just trying to get a picture he says thoughtfully 
i can see why that day made you happy 
well i knew that goat would be a little gold mine 1 
say 
yes of course i was referring to that not the lasting 
joy you gave the sister you love so much you took her 
place in the reaping says peeta drily 
the goat has paid for itself several times over i say 
in a superior tone 
well it wouldnt dare do anything else after you 
saved its life says peeta i intend to do the same 
thing 
 
really what did you cost me again i ask 
a lot of trouble dont worry youll get it all backhe 
says 
youre not making sense i say i test his forehead 
the levers going nowhere but up youre a little 
cooler though 
the sound of the trumpets startles me im on my feet 
and at the mouth of the cave in a flash not wanting 
to miss a syllable its my new best friend claudius 
templesmith and as i expected hes inviting us to a 
feast well were not that hungry and i actually wave 
his offer away in indifference when he says now hold 
on some of you may already be declining my 
invitation but this is no ordinary feast each of you 
needs something desperately 
i do need something desperately something to heal 
peetas leg 
each of you will find that something in a backpack 
marked with your district number at the cornucopia 
at dawn think hard about refusing to show up for 
some of you this will be your last chance says 
claudius 
theres nothing else just his words hanging in the 
air i jump as peeta grips my shoulder from behind 
no he says youre not risking your life for me 
who said i was i say 
so youre not going he asks 
of course im not going give me some credit do 
you think im running straight into some freeforall 
against cato and clove and thresh dont be stupid 
 
i say helping him back to bed ill let them fight it 
out well see whos in the sky tomorrow night and 
work out a plan from there 
youre such a bad liar katniss i dont know how 
youve survived this long he begins to mimic me i 
knew that goat would be a little gold mine youre a 
little cooler though of course im not going he 
shakes his head never gamble at cards youll lose 
your last coin he says 
anger flushes my face all right i am going and you 
cant stop me 
i can follow you at least partway i may not make it 
to the cornucopia but if im yelling your name i bet 
someone can find me and then ill be dead for sure 
he says 
you wont get a hundred yards from here on that 
leg i say 
then 111 drag myself says peeta you go and im 
going too 
hes just stubborn enough and maybe just strong 
enough to do it come howling after me in the woods 
even if a tribute doesnt find him something else 
might he cant defend himself id probably have to 
wall him up in the cave just to go myself and who 
knows what the exertion will do to him 
what am i supposed to do sit here and watch you 
diei say he must know thats not an option that 
the audience would hate me and frankly i would 
hate myself too if i didnt even try 
i wont die i promise if you promise not to go he 
says 
 
were at something of a stalemate i know i cant 
argue him out of this one so i dont try i pretend 
reluctantly to go along then you have to do what i 
say drink your water wake me when i tell you and 
eat every bite of the soup no matter how disgusting it 
is i snap at him 
agreed is it ready he asks 
wait here i say the airs gone cold even though the 
suns still up im right about the gamemakers 
messing with the temperature i wonder if the thing 
someone needs desperately is a good blanket the 
soup is still nice and warm in its iron pot and 
actually doesnt taste too bad 
peeta eats without complaint even scraping out the 
pot to show his enthusiasm he rambles on about 
how delicious it is which should be encouraging if 
you dont know what fever does to people hes like 
listening to haymitch before the alcohol has soaked 
him into incoherence i give him another dose of fever 
medicine before he goes off his head completely 
as i go down to the stream to wash up all i can think 
is that hes going to die if i dont get to that feast ill 
keep him going for a day or two and then the 
infection will reach his heart or his brain or his lungs 
and hell be gone and 111 be here all alone again 
waiting for the others 
im so lost in thought that i almost miss the 
parachute even though it floats right by me then i 
spring after it yanking it from the water tearing off 
the silver fabric to retrieve the vial haymitch has 
done it hes gotten the medicine — i dont know how 
persuaded some gaggle of romantic fools to sell their 
jewels — and i can save peeta its such a tiny vial 
though it must be very strong to cure someone as ill 
 
as peeta a ripple of doubt runs through me i uncork 
the vial and take a deep sniff my spirits fall at the 
sickly sweet scent just to be sure i place a drop on 
the tip of my tongue theres no question its sleep 
syrup its a common medicine in district 12 cheap 
as medicine goes but very addictive almost 
everyones had a dose at one time or another we 
have some in a bottle at home my mother gives it to 
hysterical patients to knock them out to stitch up a 
bad wound or quiet their minds or just to help 
someone in pain get through the night it only takes a 
little a vial this size could knock peeta out for a full 
day but what good is that im so furious im about 
to throw haymitchs last offering into the stream 
when it hits me a full day thats more than i need 
i mash up a handful of berries so the taste wont be 
as noticeable and add some mint leaves for good 
measure then i head back up to the cave ive 
brought you a treat i found a new patch of berries a 
little farther downstream 
peeta opens his mouth for the first bite without 
hesitation he swallows then frowns slightly theyre 
very sweet 
yes theyre sugar berries my mother makes jam 
from them havent you ever had them before i say 
poking the next spoonful in his mouth 
no he says almost puzzled but they taste 
familiar sugar berries 
well you cant get them in the market much they 
only grow wild i say another mouthful goes down 
just one more to go 
theyre sweet as syrup he says taking the last 
spoonful syrup his eyes widen as he realizes the 
 
truth i clamp my hand over his mouth and nose 
hard forcing him to swallow instead of spit he tries 
to make himself vomit the stuff up but its too late 
hes already losing consciousness even as he fades 
away i can see in his eyes what ive done is 
unforgivable 
i sit back on my heels and look at him with a mixture 
of sadness and satisfaction a stray berry stains his 
chin and i wipe it away who cant lie peeta i say 
even though he cant hear me 
it doesnt matter the rest of panem can 
 
in the remaining hours before nightfall i gather rocks 
and do my best to camouflage the opening of the cave 
its a slow and arduous process but after a lot of 
sweating and shifting things around im pretty 
pleased with my work the cave now appears to be 
part of a larger pile of rocks like so many in the 
vicinity i can still crawl in to peeta through a small 
opening but its undetectable from the out« side 
thats good because ill need to share that sleeping 
bag again tonight also if i dont make it back from 
the feast peeta will be hidden but not entirely 
imprisoned although i doubt he can hang on much 
longer without medicine if i die at the feast district 
12 isnt likely to have a victor 
i make a meal out of the smaller bonier fish that 
inhabit the stream down here fill every water 
container and purify it and clean my weapons ive 
nine arrows left in all i debate leaving the knife with 
peeta so hell have some protection while im gone 
but theres really no point he was right about 
camouflage being his final defense but i still might 
have use for the knife who knows what 111 
encounter 
here are some things im fairly certain of that at 
least cato clove and thresh will be on hand when 
the feast starts im not sure about foxface since 
direct confrontation isnt her style or her forte shes 
even smaller than i am and unarmed unless shes 
picked up some weapons recently shell probably be 
hanging somewhere nearby seeing what she can 
scavenge but the other three  im going to have my 
hands full my ability to kill at a distance is my 
greatest asset but i know 111 have to go right into the 
 
thick of things to get that backpack the one with the 
number 12 on it that claudius templesmith 
mentioned 
i watch the sky hoping for one less opponent at 
dawn but nobody appears tonight tomorrow there 
will be faces up there feasts always result in 
fatalities 
i crawl into the cave secure my glasses and curl up 
next to peeta luckily i had that good long sleep 
today i have to stay awake i dont really think 
anyone will attack our cave tonight but i cant risk 
missing the dawn 
so cold so bitterly cold tonight as if the 
gamemakers have sent an infusion of frozen air 
across the arena which may be exactly what theyve 
done i lay next to peeta in the bag trying to absorb 
every bit of his fever heat its strange to be so 
physically close to someone whos so distant peeta 
might as well be back in the capitol or in district 12 
or on the moon right now hed be no harder to reach 
ive never felt lonelier since the games began 
just accept it will be a bad night i tell myself i try not 
to but i cant help thinking of my mother and prim 
wondering if theyll sleep a wink tonight at this late 
stage in the games with an important event like the 
feast school will probably be canceled my family can 
either watch on that staticfilled old clunker of a 
television at home or join the crowds in the square to 
watch on the big clear screens theyll have privacy 
at home but support in the square people will give 
them a kind word a bit of food if they can spare it i 
wonder if the baker has sought them out especially 
now that peeta and i are a team and made good on 
his promise to keep my sisters belly full 
 
spirits must be running high in district 12 we so 
rarely have anyone to root for at this point in the 
games surely people are excited about peeta and 
me especially now that were together if i close my 
eyes i can imagine their shouts at the screens urging 
us on i see their faces — greasy sac and madge and 
even the peacekeepers who buy my meat cheering for 
us 
and gale i know him he wont be shouting and 
cheering but hell be watching every moment every 
twist and turn and willing me to come home i 
wonder if hes hoping that peeta makes it as well 
gales not my boyfriend but would he be if i opened 
that door he talked about us running away together 
was that just a practical calculation of our chances of 
survival away from the district or something more 
i wonder what he makes of all this kissing 
through a crack in the rocks i watch the moon cross 
the sky at what i judge to be about three hours 
before dawn i begin final preparations im careful to 
leave peeta with water and the medical kit right 
beside him nothing else will be of much use if i dont 
return and even these would only prolong his life a 
short time after some debate i strip him of his jacket 
and zip it on over my own he doesnt need it not 
now in the sleeping bag with his fever and during the 
day if im not there to remove it hell be roasting in 
it my hands are already stiff from cold so i take 
rues spare pair of socks cut holes for my fingers and 
thumbs and pull them on it helps anyway i fill her 
small pack with some food a water bottle and 
bandages tuck the knife in my belt get my bow and 
arrows im about to leave when i remember the 
importance of sustaining the starcrossed lover 
routine and i lean over and give peeta a long 
lingering kiss i imagine the teary sighs emanating 
 
from the capitol and pretend to brush away a tear of 
my own then i squeeze through the opening in the 
rocks out into the night 
my breath makes small white clouds as it hits the air 
its as cold as a november night at home one where 
ive slipped into the woods lantern in hand to join 
gale at some prearranged place where well sit 
bundled together sipping herb tea from metal flasks 
wrapped in quilting hoping game will pass our way 
as the morning comes on oh gale i think if only 
you had my back now    
i move as fast as i dare the glasses are quite 
remarkable but i still sorely miss having the use of 
my left ear i dont know what the explosion did but it 
damaged something deep and irreparable never 
mind if i get home 111 be so stinking rich 111 be able 
to pay someone to do my hearing 
the woods always look different at night even with 
the glasses everything has an unfamiliar slant to it 
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 dont try anything 
tricky like taking a new route i make my way back 
up the stream and follow the same path back to rues 
hiding place near the lake along the way i see no 
sign of another tribute not a puff of breath not a 
quiver of a branch either im the first to arrive or the 
others positioned themselves last night theres still 
more than an hour maybe two when i wriggle into 
the underbrush and wait for the blood to begin to 
flow 
i chew a few mint leaves my stomach isnt up for 
much more thank goodness i have peetas jacket as 
well as my own if not id be forced to move around to 
stay warm the sky turns a misty morning gray and 
 
still theres no sign of the other tributes its not 
surprising really everyone has distinguished 
themselves either by strength or deadliness or 
cunning do they suppose i wonder that i have peeta 
with me i doubt foxface and thresh even know he 
was wounded all the better if they think hes covering 
me when i go in for the backpack 
but where is it the arena has lightened enough for 
me to remove my glasses i can hear the morning 
birds singing isnt it time for a second im 
panicked that im at the wrong location but no im 
certain i remember claudius templesmith specifying 
the cornucopia and there it is and here i am so 
wheres my feast 
just as the first ray of sun glints off the gold 
cornucopia theres a disturbance on the plain the 
ground before the mouth of the horn splits in two and 
a round table with a snowy white cloth rises into the 
arena on the table sit four backpacks two large 
black ones with the numbers 2and 11 a mediumsize 
green one with the number 5 and a tiny orange one 
— really i could carry it around my wrist — that must 
be marked with a 12 
the table has just clicked into place when a figure 
darts out of the cornucopia snags the green 
backpack and speeds off foxface leave it to her to 
come up with such a clever and risky idea the rest of 
us are still poised around the plain sizing up the 
situation and shes got hers shes got us trapped 
too because no one wants to chase her down not 
while their own pack sits so vulnerable on the table 
foxface must have purposefully left the other packs 
alone knowing that to steal one without her number 
would definitely bring on a pursuer that should have 
been my strategy by the lime ive worked through the 
emotions of surprise admiration anger jealousy and 
 
frustration im watching that reddish mane of hair 
disappear into the trees well out of shooting range 
huh im always dreading the others but maybe 
foxface is the real opponent here 
shes cost me time too because by now its clear that 
i must get to the table next anyone who beats me to 
it will easily scoop up my pack and be gone without 
hesitation i sprint for the table i can sense the 
emergence of danger before i see it fortunately the 
first knife comes whizzing in on my right side so i can 
hear it and im able to deflect it with my bow i turn 
drawing back the bowstring and send an arrow 
straight at cloves heart she turns just enough to 
avoid a fatal hit but the point punctures her upper 
left arm unfortunately she throws with her right 
but its enough to slow her down a few moments 
having to pull the arrow from her arm take in the 
severity of the wound i keep moving positioning the 
next arrow automatically as only someone who has 
hunted for years can do 
im at the table now my fingers closing over the tiny 
orange backpack my hand slips between the straps 
and i yank it up on my arm its really too small to fit 
on any other part of my anatomy and im turning to 
fire again when the second knife catches me in the 
forehead it slices above my right eyebrow opening a 
gash that sends a gush running down my face 
blinding my eye filling my mouth with the sharp 
metallic taste of my own blood i stagger backward 
but still manage to send my readied arrow in the 
general direction of my assailant i know as it leaves 
my hands it will miss and then clove slams into me 
knocking me flat on my back pinning my shoulders 
to the ground with her knees 
this is it i think and hope for prims sake it will be 
fast but clove means to savor the moment even 
 
feels she has time no doubt cato is somewhere 
nearby guarding her waiting for thresh and possibly 
peeta 
wheres your boyfriend district twelve still 
hanging on she asks 
well as long as were talking im alive hes out there 
now hunting cato i snarl at her then i scream at 
the top of my lungs peeta 
clove jams her fist into my windpipe very effectively 
cutting off my voice but her heads whipping from 
side to side and i know for a moment shes at least 
considering im telling the truth since no peeta 
appears to save me she turns back to me 
liar she says with a grin hes nearly dead cato 
knows where he cut him youve probably got him 
strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his 
heart going whats in the pretty little backpack that 
medicine for lover boy too bad hell never get it 
clove opens her jacket its lined with an impressive 
array of knives she carefully selects an almost 
dainty looking number with a cruel curved blade i 
promised cato if he let me have you id give the 
audience a good show 
im struggling now in an effort to unseat her but its 
no use shes too heavy and her lock on me too tight 
forget it district twelve were going to kill you 
just like we did your pathetic little ally    what was 
her name the one who hopped around in the trees 
rue well first rue then you and then i think well 
just let nature take care of lover boy how does that 
sound clove asks now where to start 
 
she carelessly wipes away the blood from my wound 
with her jacket sleeve for a moment she surveys my 
face tilting it from side to side as if its a block of 
wood and shes deciding exactly what pattern to carve 
on it i attempt to bite her hand but she grabs the 
hair on the top of my head forcing me back to the 
ground i think  she almost purrs i think well 
start with your mouth i clamp my teeth together as 
she teasingly traces the outline of my lips with the tip 
of the blade 
i wont close my eyes the comment about rue has 
filled me with fury enough fury i think to die with 
some dignity as my last act of defiance i will stare 
her down as long as i can see which will probably not 
be an extended period of time but i will stare her 
down i will not cry out i will die in my own small 
way undefeated 
yes i dont think youll have much use for your lips 
anymore want to blow lover boy one last kiss she 
asks i work up a mouthful of blood and saliva and 
spit it in her face she flushes with rage all right 
then lets get started 
i brace myself for the agony thats sure to follow but 
as i feel the tip open the first cut at my lip some great 
form yanks clove from my body and then shes 
screaming im too stunned at first too unable to 
process what has happened has peeta somehow 
come to my rescue have the gamemakers sent in 
some wild animal to add to the fun has a hovercraft 
inexplicably plucked her into the air 
but when i push myself up on my numb arms i see 
its none of the above clove is dangling a foot off the 
ground imprisoned in threshs arms i let out a gasp 
seeing him like that towering over me holding clove 
like a rag doll i remember him as big but he seems 
 
more massive more powerful than i even recall if 
anything he seems to have gained weight in the 
arena he flips clove around and flings her onto the 
ground 
when he shouts i jump never having heard him 
speak above a mutter whatd you do to that little 
girl you kill her 
clove is scrambling backward on all fours like a 
frantic insect too shocked to even call for cato no 
no it wasnt me 
you said her name i heard you you kill her 
another thought brings a fresh wave of rage to his 
features you cut her up like you were going to cut 
up this girl here 
no no i —  clove sees the stone about the size of a 
small loaf of bread in threshs hand and loses it 
cato she screeches cato 
clove i hear catos answer but hes too far away i 
can tell that much to do her any good what was he 
doing trying to get foxface or peeta or had he been 
lying in wait for thresh and just badly misjudged his 
location 
thresh brings the rock down hard against cloves 
temple its not bleeding but i can see the dent in her 
skull and i know that shes a goner theres still life in 
her now though in the rapid rise and fall of her 
chest the low moan escaping her lips 
when thresh whirls around on me the rock raised i 
know its no good to run and my bow is empty the 
last loaded arrow having gone in cloves direction im 
trapped in the glare of his strange golden brown eyes 
whatd she mean about rue being your ally 
 
i — i — we teamed up blew up the supplies i tried 
to save her i did but he got there first district one 
i say maybe if he knows i helped rue he wont 
choose some slow sadistic end for me 
and you killed him he demands 
yes i killed him and buried her in flowers i 
say and i sang her to sleep 
tears spring in my eyes the tension the fight goes 
out of me at the memory and im overwhelmed by 
rue and the pain in my head and my fear of thresh 
and the moaning of the dying girl a few feet away 
to sleep thresh says gruffly 
to death i sang until she died i say your 
district they sent me bread my hand reaches up 
but not for an arrow that i know 111 never reach just 
to wipe my nose do it fast okay thresh 
conflicting emotions cross threshs face he lowers 
the rock and points at me almost accusingly just 
this one time i let you go for the little girl you and 
me were even then no more owed you 
understand 
i nod because i do understand about owing about 
hating it i understand that if thresh wins hell have 
to go back and face a district that has already broken 
all the rules to thank me and he is breaking the rules 
to thank me too and i understand that for the 
moment thresh is not going to smash in my skull 
clove catos 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 dont need to be told twice i flip over and my feet dip 
into the hardpacked earth as i run away from thresh 
and clove and the sound of catos 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 ive never seen cato kneels 
beside clove spear in hand begging her to stay with 
him in a moment he will realize its futile she cant 
be saved i crash into the trees repeatedly swiping 
away the blood thats pouring into my eye fleeing like 
the wild wounded creature i am after a few minutes 
i hear the cannon and i know that clove has died 
that cato will be on one of our trails either threshs 
or mine im seized with terror weak from my head 
wound shaking i load an arrow but cato can throw 
that spear almost as far as i can shoot 
only one thing calms me down thresh has catos 
backpack containing the thing he needs desperately 
if i had to bet cato headed out after thresh not me 
still i dont slow down when i reach the water i 
plunge right in boots still on and flounder 
downstream i pull off rues socks that ive been 
using for gloves and press them into my forehead 
trying to staunch the flow of blood but theyre soaked 
in minutes 
somehow i make it back to the cave i squeeze 
through the rocks in the dappled light i pull the 
little orange backpack from my arm cut open the 
clasp and dump the contents on the ground one 
slim box containing one hypodermic needle without 
hesitating i jam the needle into peetas arm and 
slowly press down on the plunger 
my hands go to my head and then drop to my lap 
slick with blood 
 
the last thing i remember is an exquisitely beautiful 
green and silver moth landing on the curve of my 
wrist 
 
the sound of rain drumming on the roof of our house 
gently pulls me toward consciousness i fight to 
return to sleep though wrapped in a warm cocoon of 
blankets safe at home im vaguely aware that my 
head aches possibly i have the flu and this is why im 
allowed to stay in bed even though i can tell ive been 
asleep a long time my mothers hand strokes my 
cheek and i dont push it away as i would in 
wakefulness never wanting her to know how much i 
crave that gentle touch how much i miss her even 
though i still dont trust her then theres a voice the 
wrong voice not my mothers and im scared 
katniss it says katniss can you hear me 
my eyes open and the sense of security vanishes im 
not home not with my mother im in a dim chilly 
cave my bare feet freezing despite the cover the air 
tainted with the unmistakable smell of blood the 
haggard pale face of a boy slides into view and after 
an initial jolt of alarm i feel better peeta 
hey he says good to see your eyes again 
how long have i been out i ask 
not sure i woke up yesterday evening and you were 
lying next to me in a very scary pool of blood he 
says i think its stopped finally but i wouldnt sit up 
or anything 
i gingerly lift my hand to my head and find it 
bandaged this simple gesture leaves me weak and 
dizzy peeta holds a bottle to my lips and i drink 
thirstily 
 
youre better i say 
much better whatever you shot into my arm did the 
trick he says by this morning almost all the 
swelling in my leg was gone 
he doesnt seem angry about my tricking him 
drugging him and running off to the feast maybe im 
just too beatup and 111 hear about it later when im 
stronger but for the moment hes all gentleness 
did you eat i ask 
im sorry to say i gobbled down three pieces of that 
groosling before i realized it might have to last a 
while dont worry im back on a strict diet he says 
no its good you need to eat ill go hunting soon i 
say 
not too soon all right he says you just let me 
take care of you for a while 
i dont really seem to have much choice peeta feeds 
me bites of groosling and raisins and makes me drink 
plenty of water he rubs some warmth back into my 
feet and wraps them in his jacket before tucking the 
sleeping bag back up around my chin 
your boots and socks are still damp and the 
weathers not helping much he says theres a clap 
of thunder and i see lightning electrify the sky 
through an opening in the rocks rain drips through 
several holes in the ceiling but peeta has built a sort 
of canopy over my head an upper body by wedging 
the square of plastic into the rock above me 
i wonder what brought on this storm i mean whos 
the target says peeta 
 
cato and thresh i say without thinking foxface 
will be in her den somewhere and clove  she cut 
me an then my voice trails off 
i know cloves dead i saw it in the sky last night he 
says did you kill her 
no thresh broke her skull with a rock i say 
lucky he didnt catch you too says peeta 
the memory of the feast returns fullforce and i feel 
sick he did but he let me go then of course i 
have to tell him about things ive kept to myself 
because he was too sick to ask and i wasnt ready to 
relive anyway like the explosion and my ear and 
rues dying and the boy from district 1 and the 
bread all of which leads to what happened with 
thresh and how he was paying off a debt of sorts 
he let you go because he didnt want to owe you 
anything asks peeta in disbelief 
yes i dont expect you to understand it youve 
always had enough but if youd lived in the seam i 
wouldnt have to explain i say 
and dont try obviously im too dim to get it 
its like the bread how i never seem to get over 
owing you for that i say 
the bread what from when we were kids he 
says i think we can let that go i mean you just 
brought me back from the dead 
but you didnt know me we had never even spoken 
besides its the first gift thats always the hardest to 
pay back i wouldnt even have been here to do it if 
 
you hadnt helped me then i say why did you 
anyway 
why you know why peeta says i give my head a 
slight painful shake haymitch said you would take 
a lot of convincing 
haymitch i ask whats he got to do with it 
nothing peeta says so cato and thresh huh i 
guess its too much to hope that theyll 
simultaneously destroy each other 
but the thought only upsets me i think we would 
like thresh i think hed be our friend back in district 
twelve i say 
then lets hope cato kills him so we dont have 
to says peeta grimly 
i dont want cato to kill thresh at all i dont want 
anyone else to die but this is absolutely not the kind 
of thing that victors go around saying in the arena 
despite my best efforts i can feel tears starting to 
pool in my eyes 
peeta looks at me in concern what is it are you in 
a lot of pain 
i give him another answer because it is equally true 
but can be taken as a brief moment of weakness 
instead of a terminal one i want to go home peeta 
i say plaintively like a small child 
you will i promise he says and bends over to give 
me a kiss 
i want to go home now i say 
 
tell you what you go back to sleep and dream of 
home and you 11 be there for real before you know 
itlie says okay 
okay i whisper wake me if you need me to keep 
watch 
im good and rested thanks to you and haymitch 
besides who knows how long this will last he says 
what does he mean the storm the brief respite ii 
brings us the games themselves i dont know but 
im ion sad and tired to ask 
its evening when peeta wakes me again the rain has 
turned to a downpour sending streams of water 
through our ceiling where earlier there had been only 
drips peeta has placed the broth pot under the worst 
one and repositioned the plastic to deflect most of it 
from me i feel a bit better able to sit up without 
getting too dizzy and im absolutely famished so is 
peeta its clear hes been waiting for me to wake up to 
eat and is eager to get started 
theres not much left two pieces of groosling a small 
mishmash of roots and a handful of dried fruit 
should we try and ration it peeta asks 
no lets just finish it the grooslings getting old 
anyway and the last thing we need is to get sick 
offspoilt food i say dividing the food into two equal 
piles we tryand eat slowly but were both so hungry 
were done in a couple of minutes my stomach is in 
no way satisfied tomorrows a hunting day i say 
i wont be much help with that peeta says ive 
never hunted before 
 
ill kill and you cook i say and you can always 
gather 
i wish there was some sort of bread bush out 
there says peeta 
the bread they sent me from district eleven was still 
warm i say with a sigh here chew these i hand 
him a couple of mint leaves and pop a few in my own 
mouth 
its hard to even see the projection in the sky but its 
clear enough to know there were no more deaths 
today so cato and thresh havent had it out yet 
where did thresh go i mean whats on the far side 
of the circle i ask peeta 
a field as far as you can see its full of grasses as 
high as my shoulders i dont know maybe some of 
them are grain there are patches of different colors 
but there are no paths says peeta 
i bet some of them are grain i bet thresh knows 
which ones too i say did you go in there 
no nobody really wanted to track thresh down in 
that grass it has a sinister feeling to it every time i 
look at that field all i can think of are hidden things 
snakes and rabid animals and quicksand peeta 
says there could be anything in there 
i dont say so but peetas words remind me of the 
warnings they give us about not going beyond the 
fence in district 121 cant help for a moment 
comparing him with gale who would see that field as 
a potential source of food as well as a threat thresh 
certainly did its not that peetas soft exactly and 
hes proved hes not a coward but there are things 
 
you dont question too much i guess when your 
home always smells like baking bread whereas gale 
questions everything what would peeta think of the 
irreverent banter that passes between us as we break 
the law each day would it shock him the things we 
say about panem gales tirades against the capitol 
maybe there is a bread bush in that field i 
say maybe thats why thresh looks better fed now 
than when we started the games 
either that or hes got very generous sponsors says 
peeta i wonder what wed have to do to get haymitch 
to send us some bread 
i raise my eyebrows before i remember he doesnt 
know about the message haymitch sent us a couple 
of nights ago one kiss equals one pot of broth its 
not the sort of thing i can blurt out either to say my 
thoughts aloud would be tipping off the audience that 
the romance has been fabricated to play on their 
sympathies and that would result in no food at all 
somehow believably ive got to get things back on 
track something simple to start with i reach out and 
take his hand 
well he probably used up a lot of resources helping 
me knock you out i say mischievously 
yeah about that says peeta entwining his fingers 
in mine dont try something like that again 
or what i ask 
or  or  he cant think of anything good just 
give me a minute 
whats the problem i say with a grin 
 
the problem is were both still alive which only 
reinforces the idea in your mind that you did the right 
thingsays peeta 
i did do the right thing i say 
no just dont katniss his grip tightens hurting 
my hand and theres real anger in his voice dont 
die for me you wont be doing me any favors all 
right 
im startled by his intensity but recognize an excellent 
opportunity for getting food so i try to keep up 
maybe i did it for myself peeta did you ever think of 
that maybe you arent the only one who    who 
worries about  what it would be like if 
i fumble im not as smooth with words as peeta and 
while i was talking the idea of actually losing peeta 
hit me again and i realized how much i dont want 
him to die and its not about the sponsors and its 
not about what will happen back home and its not 
just that i dont want to be alone its him i do not 
want to lose the boy with the bread 
if what katniss he says softly 
i wish i could pull the shutters closed blocking out 
this moment from the prying eyes of panem even if it 
means losing food whatever im feeling its no ones 
business but mine 
thats exactly the kind of topic haymitch told me to 
steer clear of i say evasively although haymitch 
never said anything of the kind in fact hes probably 
cursing me out right now for dropping the ball during 
such an emotionally charged moment but peeta 
somehow catches it 
 
then 111 just have to fill in the blanks myself he 
says and moves in to me 
this is the first kiss that were 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 
but i dont get it well i do get a second kiss but its 
just a light one on the tip of my nose because peetas 
been distracted i think your wound is bleeding 
again come on lie down its bedtime anyway he 
says 
my socks are dry enough to wear now i make peeta 
put his jacket back on the damp cold seems to cut 
right down to my bones so he must be half frozen i 
insist on taking the first watch too although neither 
of us think its likely anyone will come in this 
weather but he wont agree unless im in the bag 
too and im shivering so hard that its pointless to 
object in stark contrast to two nights ago when i felt 
peeta was a million miles away im 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 elses arms have made me feel this safe 
with the aid of the glasses i lie watching the drips of 
water splatter on the cave floor rhythmic and lulling 
several times i drift off briefly and then snap awake 
guilty and angry with myself after three or four 
hours i cant help it i have to rouse peeta because i 
cant keep my eyes open he doesnt seem to mind 
 
tomorrow when its dry 111 find us a place so high 
in the trees we can both sleep in peace i promise as 
i drift off 
but tomorrow is no better in terms of weather the 
deluge continues as if the gamemakers are intent on 
washing us all away the thunders so powerful it 
seems to shake the ground peetas considering 
heading out anyway to scavenge for food but i tell 
him in this storm it would be pointless he wont be 
able to see three feet in front of his face and hell only 
end up getting soaked to the skin for his troubles he 
knows im right but the gnawing in our stomachs is 
becoming painful 
the day drags on turning into evening and theres no 
break in the weather haymitch is our only hope but 
nothing is forthcoming either from lack of money — 
everything will cost an exorbitant amount — or 
because hes dissatisfied with our performance 
probably the latter id be the first to admit were not 
exactly riveting today starving weak from injuries 
trying not to reopen wounds were sitting huddled 
together wrapped in the sleeping bag yes but mostly 
to keep warm the most exciting thing either of us 
does is nap 
im not really sure how to ramp up the romance the 
kiss last night was nice but working up to another 
will take some forethought there are girls in the 
seam some of the merchant girls too who navigate 
these waters so easily but ive never had much time 
or use for it anyway just a kiss isnt enough 
anymore clearly because if it was wed have gotten 
food last night my instincts tell me haymitch isnt 
just looking for physical affection he wants 
something more personal the sort of stuff he was 
trying to get me to tell about myself when we were 
practicing for the interview im rotten at it but 
 
peetas not maybe the best approach is to get him 
talking 
peeta i say lightly you said at the interview youd 
had a crush on me forever when did forever start 
oh lets see i guess the first day of school we were 
five you had on a red plaid dress and your hair  it 
was in two braids instead of one my father pointed 
you out when we were waiting to line up peeta says 
your father why i ask 
he said see that little girl i wanted to marry her 
mother but she ran off with a coal miner peeta 
says 
what youre making that up i exclaim 
no true story peeta says and i said a coal 
miner why did she want a coal miner if she could ve 
had you and he said because when he sings  
even the birds stop to listen 
thats true they do i mean they did i say im 
stunned and surprisingly moved thinking of the 
baker telling this to peeta it strikes me that my own 
reluctance to sing my own dismissal of music might 
not really be that i think its a waste of time it might 
be because it reminds me too much of my father 
so that day in music assembly the teacher asked 
who knew the valley song your hand shot right up in 
the air she stood you up on a stool and had you sing 
it for us and i swear every bird outside the windows 
fell silent peeta says 
oh please i say laughing 
 
no it happened and right when your song ended i 
knew — just like your mother — i was a goner peeta 
says then for the next eleven years i tried to work 
up the nerve to talk to you 
without success i add 
without success so in a way my name being drawn 
in the reaping was a real piece of luck says peeta 
for a moment im almost foolishly happy and then 
confusion sweeps over me because were supposed to 
be making up this stuff playing at being in love not 
actually being in love but peetas story has a ring of 
truth to it that part about my father and the birds 
and i did sing the first day of school although i dont 
remember the song and that red plaid dress    there 
was one a handmedown to prim that got washed to 
rags after my fathers death 
it would explain another thing too why peeta took a 
beating to give me the bread on that awful hollow day 
so if those details are true  could it all be true 
you have a  remarkable memory i say haltingly 
i remember everything about you says peeta 
tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear youre 
the one who wasnt paying attention 
i am now i say 
well i dont have much competition here he says 
i want to draw away to close those shutters again 
but i know i cant its as if i can hear haymitch 
whispering in my ear say it say it 
 
i swallow hard and get the words out you dont have 
much competition anywhere and this time its me 
who leans in 
our lips have just barely touched when the clunk 
outside makes us jump my bow comes up the arrow 
ready to fly but theres no other sound peeta peers 
through the rocks and then gives a whoop before i 
can stop him lies out in the rain then handing 
something in to me a silver parachute attached to a 
basket i rip it open at once and inside theres a feast 
— fresh rolls goat cheese apples and best of all a 
tureen of that incredible lamb stew on wild rice the 
very dish i told caesar flickerman was the most 
impressive thing the capitol had to offer 
peeta wriggles back inside his face lit up like the sun 
i guess haymitch finally got tired of watching us 
starve 
i guess so i answer 
but in my head i can hear haymitch s smug if 
slightly exasperated words yes thats what im 
looking lot sweetheart 
 
every cell in my body wants me to dig into the stew 
and cram it handful by handful into my mouth but 
peetas voice stops me we better take it slow on that 
stew remember the first night on the train the rich 
food made me sick and i wasnt even starving then 
youre right and i could just inhale the whole 
thingi say regretfully but i dont we are quite 
sensible we each have a roll half an apple and an 
egg size serving of stew and rice i make myself eat 
the stew in tiny spoonfuls — they even sent us 
silverware and plates — savoring each bite when we 
finish i stare longingly at the dish i want more 
me too tell you what we wait an hour if it stays 
down then we get another serving peeta says 
agreed i say its going to be a long hour 
maybe not that long says peeta what was that 
you were saying just before the food arrived 
something about me  no competition  best thing 
that ever happened to you  
i dont remember that last part i say hoping its too 
dim in here for the cameras to pick up my blush 
oh thats right thats what  was thinking he says 
scoot over im freezing 
i make room for him in the sleeping bag we lean 
back against the cave wall my head on his shoulder 
his arms wrapped around me i can feel haymitch 
nudging me to keep up the act so since we were 
 
five you never even noticed any other girls i ask 
him 
no i noticed just about every girl but none of them 
made a lasting impression but you he says 
im sure that would thrill your parents you liking a 
girl from the seam i say 
hardly but i couldnt care less anyway if we make 
it back you wont be a girl from the seam youll be a 
girl from the victors village he says 
thats right if we win well each get a house in the 
part of town reserved for hunger games victors long 
ago when the games began the capitol had built a 
dozen fine houses in each district of course in ours 
only one is occupied most of the others have never 
been lived in at all 
a disturbing thought hits me but then our only 
neighbor will be haymitch 
ah thatll be nice says peeta tightening his arms 
around me you and me and haymitch very cozy 
picnics birthdays long winter nights around the fire 
retelling old hunger games tales 
i told you he hates me i say but i cant help 
laughing at the image of haymitch becoming my new 
pal 
only sometimes when hes sober ive never heard 
him say one negative thing about you says peeta 
hes never sober i protest 
thats right who am i thinking of oh i know its 
cinna who likes you but thats mainly because you 
 
didnt try to run when he set you on fire says peeta 
on the other hand haymitch    well if i were you 
id avoid haymitch completely he hates you 
i thought you said i was his favorite i say 
he hates me more says peeta i dont think people 
in general are his sort of thing 
i know the audience will enjoy our having fun at 
haymitchs expense he has been around so long 
hes practically an old friend to some of them and 
after his headdive off the stage at the reaping 
everybody knows him by this time theyll have 
dragged him out of the control room for interviews 
about us no telling what sort of lies hes made up 
hes at something of a disadvantage because most 
mentors have a partner another victor to help them 
whereas haymitch has to be ready to go into action at 
any moment kind of like me when i was alone in the 
arena i wonder how hes holding up with the 
drinking the attention and the stress of trying to 
keep us alive 
its funny haymitch and i dont get along well in 
person but maybe peeta is right about us being alike 
because he seems able to communicate with me by 
the timing of his gifts like how i knew i must be 
close to water when he withheld it and how i knew 
the sleep syrup just wasnt something to ease peetas 
pain and how i know now that i have to play up the 
romance he hasnt made much effort to connect with 
peeta really perhaps he thinks a bowl of broth would 
just be a bowl of broth to peeta whereas ill see the 
strings attached to it 
a thought hits me and im amazed the questions 
taken so long to surface maybe its because ive only 
 
recently begun to view haymitch with a degree of 
curiosity how do you think he did it 
who did what peeta asks 
haymitch how do you think he won the games i 
say 
peeta considers this quite a while before he answers 
haymitch is sturdily built but no physical wonder 
like cato or thresh hes not particularly handsome 
not in the way that causes sponsors to rain gifts on 
you and hes so surly its hard to imagine anyone 
teaming up with him theres only one way haymitch 
could have won and peeta says it just as im reaching 
this conclusion myself 
he outsmarted the others says peeta 
i nod then let the conversation drop but secretly im 
wondering if haymitch sobered up long enough to 
help peeta and me because he thought we just might 
have the wits to survive maybe he wasnt always a 
drunk maybe in the beginning he tried to help the 
tributes but then it got unbearable it must be hell to 
mentor two kids and then watch them die year after 
year after year i realize that if i get out of here that 
will become my job to mentor the girl from district 
12 the idea is so repellent i thrust it from my mind 
about half an hour has passed before i decide i have 
to eat again peetas too hungry himself to put up an 
argument while im dishing up two more small 
servings of lamb stew and rice we hear the anthem 
begin to play peeta presses his eyes against a crack 
in the rocks to watch the sky 
 
there wont be anything to see tonight i say far 
more interested in the stew than the sky nothings 
happened or we wouldve heard a cannon 
katniss peeta says quietly 
what should we split another roll too i ask 
katniss he repeats but i find myself wanting to 
ignore him 
im going to split one but 111 save the cheese for 
tomorrow i say i see peeta staring at me what 
thresh is dead says peeta 
he cant be i say 
they must have fired the cannon during the thunder 
and we missed it says peeta 
are you sure i mean its pouring buckets out there 
i dont know how you can see anything i say i push 
him away from the rocks and squint out into the 
dark rainy sky for about ten seconds i catch a 
distorted glimpse of threshs picture and then hes 
gone just like that 
i slump down against the rocks momentarily 
forgetting about the task at hand thresh dead i 
should be happy right one less tribute to face and 
a powerful one too but im not happy all i can think 
about is thresh letting me go letting me run because 
of rue who died with that spear in her stomach  
you all right asks peeta 
i give a noncommittal shrug and cup my elbows in my 
hands hugging them close to my body i have to bury 
 
the real pain because whos going to bet on a tribute 
who keeps sniveling over the deaths of her opponents 
rue was one thing we were allies she was so young 
but no one will understand my sorrow at threshs 
murder the word pulls me up short murder 
thankfully i didnt say it aloud thats not going to 
win me any points in the arena what i do say is its 
just  if we didnt win  i wanted thresh to because 
he let me go and because of rue 
yeah i know says peeta but this means were one 
step closer to district twelve he nudges a plate of 
foot into my hands eat its still warm 
i take a bite of the stew to show i dont really care 
but its like glue in my mouth and takes a lot of effort 
to swallow it also means cato will be back hunting 
us 
and hes got supplies again says peeta 
hell be wounded i bet i say 
what makes you say that peeta asks 
because thresh would have never gone down 
without a fight hes so strong i mean he was and 
they were in his territory i say 
good says peeta the more wounded cato is the 
better i wonder how foxface is making out 
oh shes fine i say peevishly im still angry she 
thought of hiding in the cornucopia and i didnt 
probably be easier to catch cato than her 
maybe theyh catch each other and we can just go 
home says peeta but we better be extra careful 
about the watches i dozed off a few times 
 
me too i admit but not tonight 
we finish our food in silence and then peeta offers to 
take the first watch i burrow down in the sleeping 
bag next to him pulling my hood up over my face to 
hide it from the cameras i just need a few moments 
of privacy where i can let any emotion cross my face 
without being seen under the hood i silently say 
goodbye to thresh and thank him for my life i 
promise to remember him and if i can do something 
to help his family and rues if i win then i escape 
into sleep comforted by a full belly and the steady 
warmth of peeta beside me 
when peeta wakes me later the first thing i register is 
the smell of goat cheese hes holding out half a roll 
spread with the creamy white stuff and topped with 
apple slices dont be mad he says i had to eat 
again heres your half 
oh good i say immediately taking a huge bite the 
strong fatty cheese tastes just like the kind prim 
makes the apples are sweet and crunchy mm 
we make a goat cheese and apple tart at the bakery 
he says 
bet thats expensive i say 
too expensive for my family to eat unless its gone 
very stale of course practically everything we eat is 
stale says peeta pulling the sleeping bag up around 
him in less than a minute hes snoring 
huh i always assumed the shopkeepers live a soft 
life 
and its true peeta has always had enough to eat 
but theres something kind of depressing about living 
 
your life on stale bread the hard dry loaves that no 
one else wanted one thing about us since i bring 
our food home on a daily basis most of it is so fresh 
you have to make sure it isnt going to make a run for 
it 
somewhere during my shift the rain stops not 
gradually but all at once the downpour ends and 
theres only the residual drippings of water from 
branches the rush of the now overflowing stream 
below us a full beautiful moon emerges and even 
without the glasses i can see outside i cant decide if 
the moon is real or merely a projection of the 
gamemakers i know it was full shortly before i left 
home gale and i watched it rise as we hunted into 
the late hours 
how long have i been gone im guessing its been 
about two weeks in the arena and there was that 
week of preparation in the capitol maybe the moon 
has completed its cycle for some reason i badly 
want it to be my moon the same one i see from the 
woods around district 12 that would give me 
something to cling to in the surreal world of the arena 
where the authenticity of everything is to be doubted 
four of us left 
for the first time i allow myself to truly think about 
the possibility that i might make it home to fame to 
wealth to my own house in the victors village my 
mother and prim would live there with me no more 
fear of hunger a new kind of freedom but then  
what what would my life be like on a daily basis 
most of it has been consumed with the acquisition of 
food take that away and im not really sure who i 
am what my identity is the idea scares me some i 
think of haymitch with all his money what did his 
life become he lives alone no wife or children most 
 
of his waking hours drunk i dont want to end up like 
that 
but you wont be alone i whisper to myself i have 
my mother and prim well for the time being and 
then  i dont want to think about then when prim 
has grown up my mother passed away i know 111 
never marry never risk bringing a child into the 
world because if theres one thing being a victor 
doesnt guarantee its your childrens safety my kids 
names would go right into the reaping balls with 
everyone elses and i swear ill never let that happen 
the sun eventually rises its light slipping through the 
cracks and illuminating peetas face who will he 
transform into if we make it home this perplexing 
goodnatured boy who can spin out lies so 
convincingly the whole of panem believes him to be 
hopelessly in love with me and 111 admit it there are 
moments when he makes me believe it myself at 
least well be friends i think nothing will change the 
fact that weve saved each others lives in here and 
beyond that he will always be the boy with the bread 
good friends any thing beyond that though  and i 
feel gales gray eyes watching me watching peeta all 
the way from district 12 
discomfort causes me to move i scoot over and shake 
peetas shoulder his eyes open sleepily and when 
they focus on me he pulls me down for a long kiss 
were wasting hunting time i say when i finally 
break away 
i wouldnt call it wasting he says giving a big 
stretch as he sits up so do we hunt on empty 
stomachs to give us an edge 
 
not us i say we stuff ourselves to give us staying 
power 
count me in peeta says but i can see hes 
surprised when i divide the rest of the stew and rice 
and hand a heaping plate to him all this 
well earn it back today i say and we both plow 
into our plates even cold its one of the best things 
ive ever tasted i abandon my fork and scrape up the 
last dabs of gravy with my finger i can feel effie 
trinket shuddering at my manners 
hey effie watch this says peeta he tosses his fork 
over his shoulder and literally licks his plate clean 
with his tongue making loud satisfied sounds then 
he blows a kiss out to her in general and calls we 
miss you effie 
i cover his mouth with my hand but im laughing 
stop cato could be right outside our cave 
he grabs my hand away what do i care ive got you 
to protect me now says peeta pulling me to him 
come on i say in exasperation extricating myself 
from his grasp but not before he gets in another kiss 
once were packed up and standing outside our cave 
our mood shifts to serious its as though for the last 
few days sheltered by the rocks and the rain and 
catos preoccupation with thresh we were given a 
respite a holiday of sorts now although the day is 
sunny and warm we both sense were really back in 
the games i hand peeta my knife since whatever 
weapons he once had are long gone and he slips it 
into his belt my last seven arrows — of the twelve i 
sacrificed three in the explosion two at the feast — 
 
rattle a bit too loosely in the quiver i cant afford to 
lose any more 
hell be hunting us by now says peeta cato isnt 
one to wait for his prey to wander by 
if hes wounded —  i begin 
it wont matter peeta breaks in if he can move 
hes coming 
with all the rain the stream has overrun its banks by 
several feet on either side we stop there to replenish 
our water i check the snares i set days ago and come 
up empty not surprising with the weather besides i 
havent seen many animals or signs of them in this 
area 
if we want food we better head back up to my old 
hunting grounds i say 
your call just tell me what you need me to do 
peeta says 
keep an eye out i say stay on the rocks as much 
as possible no sense in leaving him tracks to follow 
and listen for both of us its clear at this point that 
the explosion destroyed the hearing in my left ear for 
good 
id walk in the water to cover our tracks completely 
but im not sure peetas leg could take the current 
although the drugs have erased the infection hes 
still pretty weak my forehead hurts along the knife 
cut but after three days the bleeding has stopped i 
wear a bandage around my head though just in case 
physical exertion should bring it back 
 
as we head up alongside the stream we pass the 
place where i found peeta camouflaged in the weeds 
and mud one good thing between the downpour and 
the flooded banks all signs of his hiding place have 
been wiped out that means that if need be we can 
come back to our cave otherwise i wouldnt risk it 
with cato after us 
the boulders diminish to rocks that eventually turn 
to pebbles and then to my relief were back on pine 
needles and the gentle incline of the forest floor for 
the first time i realize we have a problem navigating 
the rocky terrain with a bad leg — well youre 
naturally going to make some noise but even on the 
smooth bed of needles peeta is loud and i 
meanloudloud as if hes stomping his feet or 
something i turn and look at him 
what he asks 
youve got to move more quietly i say forget about 
cato youre chasing off every rabbit in a tenmile 
radius 
really he says sorry i didnt know 
so we start up again and hes a tiny bit better but 
even with only one working ear hes making me 
jump 
can you take your boots off i suggest 
here he asks in disbelief as if id asked him to 
walk barefoot on hot coals or something i have to 
remind myself that hes still not used to the woods 
that its the scary forbidden place beyond the fences 
of district 12 i think of gale with his velvet tread 
its eerie how little sound he makes even when the 
leaves have fallen and its a challenge to move at all 
 
without chasing off the game i feel certain hes 
laughing back home 
yes i say patiently i will too that way well both 
be quieter like i was making any noise so we both 
strip off our boots and socks and while theres some 
improvement i could swear hes making an effort to 
snap every branch we encounter 
needless to say although it takes several hours to 
reach my old camp with rue ive shot nothing if the 
stream would settle down fish might be an option 
but the current is still too strong as we stop to rest 
and drink water i try to work out a solution ideally 
id dump peeta now with some simple rootgathering 
chore and go hunt but then hed be left with only a 
knife to defend himself against catos spears and 
superior strength so what id 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 isnt 
going to go for that suggestion 
katniss he says we need to split up i know im 
chasing away the game 
only because your legs hurt i say generously 
because really you can tell thats only a small part of 
the problem 
i know he says so why dont you go on show me 
some plants to gather and that way well both be 
useful 
not if cato comes and kills you i tried to say it in a 
nice way but it still sounds like i think hes a 
weakling 
surprisingly he just laughs look i can handle 
cato i fought him before didnt i 
 
yeah and that turned out great you ended up dying 
in a mud bank thats what i want to say but i cant 
he did save my life by taking on cato after all i try 
another tactic what if you climbed up in a tree and 
acted as a lookout while i hunted i say trying to 
make it sound like very important work 
what if you show me whats edible around here and 
go get us some meat he says mimicking my tone 
just dont go far in case you need help 
i sigh and show him some roots to dig we do need 
food no question one apple two rolls and a blob of 
cheese the size of a plum wont last long ill just go a 
short distance and hope cato is a long way off 
i teach him a bird whistle — not a melody like rues 
but a simple twonote whistle — which we can use to 
communicate that were all right fortunately hes 
good at this leaving him with the pack i head off 
i feel like im eleven again tethered not to the safety 
of the fence but to peeta allowing myself twenty 
maybe thirty yards of hunting space away from him 
though the woods come alive with animal sounds 
reassured by his periodic whistles i allow myself to 
drift farther away and soon have two rabbits and a 
fat squirrel to show for it i decide its enough i can 
set snares and maybe get some fish with peetas 
roots this will be enough for now 
as i travel the short distance back i realize we 
havent exchanged signals in a while when my 
whistle receives no response i run in no time i find 
the pack a neat pile of roots beside it the sheet of 
plastic has been laid on the ground where the sun 
can reach the single layer of berries that covers it 
but where is he 
 
peeta i call out in a panic peeta i turn to the 
rustle of brush and almost send an arrow through 
him fortunately i pull my bow at the last second 
and it sticks in an oak trunk to his left he jumps 
back flinging a handful of berries into the foliage 
my fear comes out as anger what are you doing 
youre supposed to be here not running around in 
the woods 
i found some berries down by the stream he says 
clearly confused by my outburst 
i whistled why didnt you whistle backisnap at 
him 
i didnt hear the waters too loud i guess he says 
he crosses and puts his hands on my shoulders 
thats when i feel that im trembling 
i thought cato killed you i almost shout 
no im fine peeta wraps his arms around me but i 
dont respond katniss 
i push away trying to sort out my feelings if two 
people agree on a signal they stay in range because 
if one of them doesnt answer theyre in trouble all 
right 
all right he says 
all right because thats what happened with rue 
and i watched her die i say i turn away from him 
go to the pack and open a fresh bottle of water 
although i still have some in mine but im not ready 
to forgive him i notice the food the rolls and apples 
are untouched but someones definitely picked away 
part of the cheese and you ate without me i really 
 
dont care i just want something else to be mad 
about 
what no i didnt peeta says 
oh and i suppose the apples ate the cheese i say 
i dont know what ate the cheese peeta says slowly 
and distinctly as if trying not to lose his temper but 
it wasnt me ive been down by the stream collecting 
berries would you care for some 
i would actually but i dont want to relent too soon i 
do walk over and look at them ive never seen this 
type before no i have but not in the arena these 
arent rues berries although they resemble them 
nor do they match any i learned about in training i 
lean down and scoop up a few rolling them between 
my fingers 
my fathers voice comes back to me not these 
katniss never these theyre nightlock you 11 be dead 
before they reach your stomach 
just then the cannon fires i whip around expecting 
peeta to collapse to the ground but he only raises his 
eyebrows the hovercraft appears a hundred yards or 
so away whats left of foxfaces emaciated body is 
lifted into the air i can see the red glint of her hair in 
the sunlight 
i should have known the moment i saw the missing 
cheese  
peeta has me by the arm pushing me toward a 
tree climb hell be here in a second well stand a 
better chance fighting him from above 
 
i stop him suddenly calm no peeta shes your kill 
not catos 
what i havent even seen her since the first day he 
says how could i have killed her 
in answer i hold out the berries 
 
it takes a while to explain the situation to peeta how 
foxface stole the food from the supply pile before i 
blew it up how she tried to take enough to stay alive 
but not enough that anyone would notice it how she 
wouldnt question the safely of berries we were 
preparing to eat ourselves 
i wonder how she found us says peeta my fault i 
guess if im as loud as you say 
we were about as hard to follow as a herd of cattle 
but i try to be kind and shes very clever peeta 
well she was until you outfoxed her 
not on purpose doesnt seem fair somehow i mean 
we would have both been dead too if she hadnt 
eaten the berries first he checks himself no of 
course we wouldnt you recognized them didnt 
you 
i give a nod we call them nightlock 
even the name sounds deadly he says im sorry 
katniss i really thought they were the same ones 
youd gathered 
dont apologize it just means were one step closer to 
home right i ask 
ill get rid of the rest peeta says he gathers up the 
sheet of blue plastic careful to trap the berries inside 
and goes to toss them into the woods 
wait i cry i find the leather pouch that belonged to 
the boy from district 1 and fill it with a few handfuls 
 
of berries from the plastic if they fooled foxface 
maybe they can fool cato as well if hes chasing us or 
something we can act like we accidentally drop the 
pouch and if he eats them —  
then hello district twelve says peeta 
thats it i say securing the pouch to my belt 
hell know where we are now says peeta if he was 
anywhere nearby and saw that hovercraft hell know 
we killed her and come after us 
peetas right this could be just the opportunity 
catos been waiting for but even if we run now 
theres the meat to cook and our fire will be another 
sign of our whereabouts lets make a fire right 
now i begin to gather branches and brush 
are you ready to face him peeta asks 
im ready to eat better to cook our food while we 
have the chance if he knows were here he knows 
but he also knows theres two of us and probably 
assumes we were hunting foxface that means youre 
recovered and the fire means were not hiding were 
inviting him here would you show up i ask 
maybe not he says 
peetas a whiz with fires coaxing a blaze out of the 
damp wood in no time i have the rabbits and 
squirrel roasting the roots wrapped in leaves baking 
in the coals we take turns gathering greens and 
keeping a careful watch for cato but as i anticipated 
he doesnt make an appearance 
when the foods cooked i pack most of it up leaving 
us each a rabbits leg to eat as we walk 
 
i want to move higher into the woods climb a good 
tree and make camp for the night but peeta resists 
i cant climb like you katniss especially with my leg 
and i dont think i could ever fall asleep fifty feet 
above the ground 
its not safe to stay in the open peeta i say 
cant we go back to the cave he asks its near 
water and easy to defend 
i sigh several more hours of walking — or should i 
say crashing — through the woods to reach an area 
well just have to leave in the morning to hunt but 
peeta doesnt ask for much hes followed my 
instructions all day and im sure if things were 
reversed he wouldnt make me spend the night in a 
tree it dawns on me that i havent been very nice to 
peeta today nagging him about how loud he was 
screaming at him over disappearing the playful 
romance we had sustained in the cave has 
disappeared out in the open under the hot sun with 
the threat of cato looming over us haymitch has 
probably just about had it with me and as for the 
audience  
i reach up and give him a kiss sure lets go back to 
the cave 
he looks pleased and relieved well that was easy 
i work my arrow out of the oak careful not to damage 
the shaft these arrows are food safety and life itself 
now 
we toss a bunch more wood on the fire it should be 
sending off smoke for a few more hours although i 
doubt cato assumes anything at this point when we 
reach the stream i see the water has dropped 
 
considerably and moves at its old leisurely pace so i 
suggest we walk back in it peetas happy to oblige 
and since hes a lot quieter in water than on land its 
a doubly good idea its a long walk back to the cave 
though even going downward even with the rabbit to 
give us a boost were both exhausted by our hike 
today and still way too underfed i keep my bow 
loaded both for cato and any fish i might see but the 
stream seems strangely empty of creatures 
by the time we reach our destination our feet are 
dragging and the sun sits low on the horizon we fill 
up our water bottles and climb the little slope to our 
den its not much but out here in the wilderness its 
the closest thing we have to a home it will be warmer 
than a tree too because it provides some shelter 
from the wind that has begun to blow steadily in from 
the west i set a good dinner out but halfway through 
peeta begins to nod off after days of inactivity the 
hunt has taken its toll i order him into the sleeping 
bag and set aside the rest of his food for when he 
wakes he drops off immediately i pull the sleeping 
bag up to his chin and kiss his forehead not for the 
audience but for me because im so grateful that 
hes still here not dead by the stream as id thought 
so glad that i dont have to face cato alone 
brutal bloody cato who can snap a neck with a twist 
of his arm who had the power to overcome thresh 
who has had it out for me since the beginning he 
probably has had a special hatred for me ever since i 
outscored him in training a boy like peeta would 
simply shrug that off but i have a feeling it drove 
cato to distraction which is not that hard i think of 
his ridiculous reaction to finding the supplies blown 
up the others were upset of course but he was 
completely unhinged i wonder now if cato might not 
be entirely sane 
 
the sky lights up with the seal and i watch foxface 
shine in the sky and then disappear from the world 
forever he hasnt said it but i dont think peeta felt 
good about killing her even if it was essential i cant 
pretend ill miss her but i have to admire her my 
guess is if they had given us some sort of test she 
would have been the smartest of all the tributes if in 
fact we had been setting a trap for her i bet shed 
have sensed it and avoided the berries it was peetas 
own ignorance that brought her down ive spent so 
much time making sure i dont underestimate my 
opponents that ive forgotten its just as dangerous to 
overestimate them as well 
that brings me back to cato but while i think i had 
a sense of foxface who she was and how she 
operated hes a little more slippery powerful well 
trained but smart i dont know not like she was 
and utterly lacking in the control foxface 
demonstrated i believe cato could easily lose his 
judgment in a fit of temper not that i can feel 
superior on that point i think of the moment i sent 
the arrow flying into the apple in the pigs mouth 
when i was so enraged maybe i do understand cato 
better than i think 
despite the fatigue in my body my minds alert so i 
let peeta sleep long past our usual switch in fact a 
soft gray day has begun when i shake his shoulder 
he looks out almost in alarm i slept the whole 
night thats not fair katniss you should have woken 
me 
i stretch and burrow down into the bag ill sleep 
now wake me if anything interesting happens 
apparently nothing does because when i open my 
eyes bright hot afternoon light gleams through the 
rocks any sign of our friend i ask 
 
peeta shakes his head no hes keeping a 
disturbingly low profile 
how long do you think well have before the 
gamemakers drive us together i ask 
well foxface died almost a day ago so theres been 
plenty of time for the audience to place bets and get 
bored i guess it could happen at any moment says 
peeta 
yeah i have a feeling todays the day i say i sit up 
and look out at the peaceful terrain i wonder how 
theyll do it 
peeta remains silent theres not really any good 
answer 
well until they do no sense in wasting a hunting 
day but we should probably eat as much as we can 
hold just in case we run into trouble i say 
peeta packs up our gear while i lay out a big meal 
the rest of the rabbits roots greens the rolls spread 
with the last bit of cheese the only thing i leave in 
reserve is the squirrel and the apple 
by the time were done all thats left is a pile of rabbit 
bones my hands are greasy which only adds to my 
growing feeling of grubbiness maybe we dont bathe 
daily in the seam but we keep cleaner than i have of 
late except for my feet which have walked in the 
stream im covered in a layer of grime 
leaving the cave has a sense of finality about it i 
dont think there will be another night in the arena 
somehow one way or the other dead or alive i have 
the feeling 111 escape it today i give the rocks a pat 
goodbye and we head down to the stream to wash 
 
up i can feel my skin itching for the cool water i 
may do my hair and braid it back wet im wondering 
if we might even be able to give our clothes a quick 
scrub when we reach the stream or what used to be 
the stream now theres only a bonedry bed i put my 
hand down to feel it 
not even a little damp they must have drained it 
while we slept i say a fear of the cracked tongue 
aching body and fuzzy mind brought on by my 
previous dehydration creeps into my consciousness 
our bottles and skin are fairly full but with two 
drinking and this hot sun it wont take long to deplete 
them 
the lake says peeta thats where they want us to 
go 
maybe the ponds still have some i say hopefully 
we can check he says but hes just humoring me 
im humoring myself because i know what ill find 
when we return to the pond where i soaked my leg a 
dusty gaping mouth of a hole but we make the trip 
anyway just to confirm what we already know 
youre right theyre driving us to the lake i say 
where theres no cover where theyre guaranteed a 
bloody fight to the death with nothing to block their 
view do you want to go straightaway or wait until 
the waters tapped out 
lets go now while weve had food and rest lets just 
go end this thing he says 
i nod its funny i feel almost as if its the first day of 
the games again that im in the same position 
twentyone tributes are dead but i still have yet to 
kill cato and really wasnt he always the one to kill 
 
now it seems the other tributes were just minor 
obstacles distractions keeping us from the real 
battle of the games cato and me 
but no theres the boy waiting beside me i feel his 
arms wrap around me 
two against one should be a piece of cake he says 
next time we eat it will be in the capitol i answer 
you bet it will he says 
we stand there a while locked in an embrace feeling 
each other the sunlight the rustle of the leaves at 
our feet then without a word we break apart and 
head for the lake 
i dont care now that peetas footfalls send rodents 
scurrying make birds take wing we have to fight 
cato and id just as soon do it here as on the plain 
but i doubt ill have that choice if the gamemakers 
want us in the open then in the open we will be 
we stop to rest for a few moments under the tree 
where the careers trapped me the husk of the 
tracker jacker nest beaten to a pulp by the heavy 
rains and dried in the burning sun confirms the 
location i touch it with the tip of my boot and it 
dissolves into dust that is quickly carried off by the 
breeze i cant help looking up in the tree where rue 
secretly perched waiting to save my life tracker 
j ackers glimmers bloated body the terrifying 
hallucinations  
lets move on i say wanting to escape the darkness 
that surrounds this place peeta doesnt object 
 
given our late start to the day when we reach the 
plain its already early evening theres no sign of 
cato no sign of anything except the gold cornucopia 
glowing in the slanting sun rays just in case cato 
decided to pull a foxface on us we circle the 
cornucopia to make sure its empty then obediently 
as if following instructions we cross to the lake and 
fill our water containers 
i frown at the shrinking sun we dont want to fight 
him after dark theres only the one pair of glasses 
peeta carefully squeezes drops of iodine into the 
water maybe thats what hes waiting for what do 
you want to do go back to the cave 
either that or find a tree but lets give him another 
half an hour or so then well take cover i answer 
we sit by the lake in full sight theres no point in 
hiding now in the trees at the edge of the plain i can 
see the mockingjays flitting about bouncing melodies 
back and forth between them like brightly colored 
balls i open my mouth and sing out rues fournote 
run i can feel them pause curiously at the sound of 
my voice listening for more i repeat the notes in the 
silence first one mockingjay trills the tune back 
then another then the whole world comes alive with 
the sound 
just like your father says peeta 
my fingers find the pin on my shirt thats rues 
song i say i think they remember it 
the music swells and i recognize the brilliance of it 
as the notes overlap they compliment one another 
forming a lovely unearthly harmony it was this 
sound then thanks to rue that sent the orchard 
 
workers of district 1 1 home each night does 
someone start it at quitting time i wonder now that 
she is dead 
for a while i just close my eyes and listen 
mesmerized by the beauty of the song then 
something begins to disrupt the music runs cut off 
in jagged imperfect lines dissonant notes intersperse 
with the melody the mockingjays voices rise up in a 
shrieking cry of alarm 
were on our feet peeta wielding his knife me poised 
to shoot when cato smashes through the trees and 
bears down on us he has no spear in fact his hands 
are empty yet he runs straight for us my first arrow 
hits his chest and inexplicably falls aside 
hes got some kind of body armor i shout to peeta 
just in time too because cato is upon us i brace 
myself but he rockets right between us with no 
attempt to check his speed i can tell from his 
panting the sweat pouring off his purplish face that 
hes been running hard a long time not toward us 
from something but what 
my eyes scan the woods just in time to see the first 
creature leap onto the plain as im turning away i 
see another half dozen join it then i am stumbling 
blindly after cato with no thought of anything but to 
save myself 
 
muttations no question about it ive never seen 
these mutts but theyre no naturalborn animals 
they resemble huge wolves but what wolf lands and 
then balances easily on its hind legs what wolf 
waves the rest of the pack forward with its front paw 
as though it had a wrist these things i can see at a 
distance up close im sure their more menacing 
attributes will be revealed 
cato has made a beeline for the cornucopia and 
without question i follow him if he thinks its the 
safest place who am i to argue besides even if i 
could make it to the trees it would be impossible for 
peeta to outrun them on that leg — peeta my hands 
have just landed on the metal at the pointed tail of 
the cornucopia when i remember im part of a team 
hes about fifteen yards behind me hobbling as fast 
as he can but the mutts are closing in on him fast i 
send an arrow into the pack and one goes down but 
there are plenty to take its place 
peetas waving me up the horn go katniss go 
hes right i cant protect either of us on the ground i 
start climbing scaling the cornucopia on my hands 
and feet the pure gold surface has been designed to 
resemble the woven horn that we fill at harvest so 
there are little ridges and seams to get a decent hold 
on but after a day in the arena sun the metal feels 
hot enough to blister my hands 
cato lies on his side at the very top of the horn 
twenty feet above the ground gasping to catch his 
breath as he gags over the edge nows my chance to 
finish him off i stop midway up the horn and load 
 
another arrow but just as im about to let it fly i 
hear peeta cry out i twist around and see hes just 
reached the tail and the mutts are right on his heels 
climb i yell peeta starts up hampered by not only 
the leg but the knife in his hand i shoot my arrow 
down the throat of the first mutt that places its paws 
on the metal as it dies the creature lashes out 
inadvertently opening gashes on a few of its 
companions thats when i get a look at the claws 
four inches and clearly razorsharp 
peeta reaches my feet and i grab his arm and pull 
him along then i remember cato waiting at the top 
and whip around but hes doubled over with cramps 
and apparently more preoccupied with the mutts 
than us he coughs out something unintelligible the 
snuffling growling sound coming from the mutts isnt 
helping 
what i shout at him 
he said can they climb it answers peeta drawing 
my focus back to the base of the horn 
the mutts are beginning to assemble as they join 
together they raise up again to stand easily on their 
back legs giving them an eerily human quality each 
has a thick coat some with fur that is straight and 
sleek others curly and the colors vary from jet black 
to what i can only describe as blond theres 
something else about them something that makes 
the hair rise up on the back of my neck but i cant 
put my finger on it 
they put their snouts on the horn sniffing and 
tasting the metal scraping paws over the surface and 
then making highpitched yipping sounds to one 
another this must be how they communicate 
 
because the pack backs up as if to make room then 
one of them a goodsize mutt with silky waves of 
blond fur takes a running start and leaps onto the 
horn its back legs must be incredibly powerful 
because it lands a mere ten feet below us its pink 
lips pulled back in a snarl for a moment it hangs 
there and in that moment i realize what else 
unsettled me about the mutts the green eyes 
glowering at me are unlike any dog or wolf any 
canine ive ever seen they are unmistakably human 
and that revelation has barely registered when i 
notice the collar with the number 1 inlaid with jewels 
and the whole horrible thing hits me the blonde hair 
the green eyes the number  its glimmer 
a shriek escapes my lips and im having trouble 
holding the arrow in place i have been waiting to fire 
only too aware of my dwindling supply of arrows 
waiting to see if the creatures can in fact climb but 
now even though the mutt has begun to slide 
backward unable to find any purchase on the metal 
even though i can hear the slow screeching of the 
claws like nails on a blackboard i fire into its throat 
its body twitches and flops onto the ground with a 
thud 
katniss i can feel peetas grip on my arm 
its her i get out 
who asks peeta 
my head snaps from side to side as i examine the 
pack taking in the various sizes and colors the 
small one with the red coat and amber eyes    
foxface and there the ashen hair and hazel eyes of 
the boy from district 9 who died as we struggled for 
the backpack and worst of all the smallest mutt 
with dark glossy fur huge brown eyes and a collar 
 
that reads 1 1 in woven straw teeth bared in hatred 
rue  
what is it katniss peeta shakes my shoulder 
its them its all of them the others rue and 
foxface and  all of the other tributes i choke out 
i hear peetas gasp of recognition what did they do 
to them you dont think    those could be their real 
eyes 
their eyes are the least of my worries what about 
their brains have they been given any of the real 
tributes memories have they been programmed to 
hate our faces particularly because we have survived 
and they were so callously murdered and the ones 
we actually killed  do they believe theyre avenging 
their own deaths 
before i can get this out the mutts begin a new 
assault on the horn theyve split into two groups at 
the sides of the horn and are using those powerful 
hindquarters to launch themselves at us a pair of 
teeth ring together just inches from my hand and 
then i hear peeta cry out feel the yank on his body 
the heavy weight of boy and mutt pulling me over the 
side if not for the grip on my arm hed be on the 
ground but as it is it takes all my strength to keep 
us both on the curved back of the horn and more 
tributes are coming 
kill it peeta kill it im shouting and although i 
cant quite see whats happening i know he must 
have stabbed the thing because the pull lessens im 
able to haul him back onto the horn where we drag 
ourselves toward the top where the lesser of two evils 
awaits 
 
cato has still not regained his feet but his breathing 
is slowing and i know soon hell be recovered enough 
to come for us to hurl us over the side to our deaths 
i arm my bow but the arrow ends up taking out a 
mutt that can only be thresh who else could jump 
so high i feel a moments relief because we must 
finally be up above the mutt line and im just turning 
back to face cato when peetas jerked from my side 
im sure the pack has got him until his blood 
splatters my face 
cato stands before me almost at the lip of the horn 
holding peeta in some kind of headlock cutting off his 
air peetas clawing at catos arm but weakly as if 
confused over whether its more important to breathe 
or try and stem the gush of blood from the gaping 
hole a mutt left in his calf 
i aim one of my last two arrows at catos head 
knowing it 11 have no effect on his trunk or limbs 
which i can now see are clothed in a skintight flesh 
colored mesh some highgrade body armor from the 
capitol was that what was in his pack at the feast 
body armor to defend against my arrows well they 
neglected to send a face guard 
cato just laughs shoot me and he goes down with 
me 
hes right if i take him out and he falls to the mutts 
peeta is sure to die with him weve reached a 
stalemate i cant shoot cato without killing peeta 
too he cant kill peeta without guaranteeing an arrow 
in his brain we stand like statues both of us seeking 
an out 
my muscles are strained so tightly they feel they 
might snap at any moment my teeth clenched to the 
 
breaking point the mutts go silent and the only thing 
i can hear is the blood pounding in my good ear 
peetas lips are turning blue if i dont do something 
quickly hell die of asphyxiation and then 111 have 
lost him and cato will probably use his body as a 
weapon against me in fact im sure this is catos 
plan because while hes stopped laughing his lips are 
set in a triumphant smile 
as if in a lastditch effort peeta raises his fingers 
dripping with blood from his leg up to catos arm 
instead of trying to wrestle his way free his forefinger 
veers off and makes a deliberate x on the back of 
catos hand cato realizes what it means exactly one 
second after i do i can tell by the way the smile drops 
from his lips but its one second too late because by 
that time my arrow is piercing his hand he cries out 
and reflexively releases peeta who slams back against 
him for a horrible moment i think theyre both going 
over i dive forward just catching hold of peeta as 
cato loses his footing on the bloodslick horn and 
plummets to the ground 
we hear him hit the air leaving his body on impact 
and then the mutts attack him peeta and i hold on to 
each other waiting for the cannon waiting for the 
competition to finish waiting to be released but it 
doesnt happen not yet because this is the climax of 
the hunger games and the audience expects a show 
i dont watch but i can hear the snarls the growls 
the howls of pain from both human and beast as cato 
takes on the mutt pack i cant understand how he 
can be surviving until i remember the body armor 
protecting him from ankle to neck and i realize what a 
long night this could be cato must have a knife or 
sword or something too something he had hidden in 
his clothes because on occasion theres the death 
 
scream of a mutt or the sound of metal on metal as 
the blade collides with the golden horn the combat 
moves around the side of the cornucopia and i know 
cato must be attempting the one maneuver that 
could save his life — to make his way back around to 
the tail of the horn and rejoin us but in the end 
despite his remarkable strength and skill he is 
simply overpowered 
i dont know how long it has been maybe an hour or 
so when cato hits the ground and we hear the mutts 
dragging him dragging him back into the 
cornucopia now theyll finish him off i think but 
theres still no cannon 
night falls and the anthem plays and theres no 
picture of cato in the sky only the faint moans 
coming through the metal beneath us the icy air 
blowing across the plain reminds me that the games 
are not over and may not be for who knows how long 
and there is still no guarantee of victory 
i turn my attention to peeta and discover his leg is 
bleeding as badly as ever all our supplies our packs 
remain down by the lake where we abandoned them 
when we fled from the mutts i have no bandage 
nothing to staunch the flow of blood from his calf 
although im shaking in the biting wind i rip off my 
jacket remove my shirt and zip back into the jacket 
as swiftly as possible that brief exposure sets my 
teeth chattering beyond control 
peetas face is gray in the pale moonlight i make him 
lie down before i probe his wound warm slippery 
blood runs over my fingers a bandage will not be 
enough ive seen my mother tie a tourniquet a 
handful of times and try to replicate it i cut free a 
sleeve from my shirt wrap it twice around his leg just 
under his knee and tie a half knot i dont have a 
 
stick so i take my remaining arrow and insert it in 
the knot twisting it as tightly as i dare its risky 
business — peeta may end up losing his leg — but 
when i weigh this against him losing his life what 
alternative do i have i bandage the wound in the rest 
of my shirt and lay down with him 
dont go to sleep i tell him im not sure if this is 
exactly medical protocol but im terrified that if he 
drifts off hell never wake again 
are you cold he asks he unzips his jacket and i 
press against him as he fastens it around me its a 
bit warmer sharing our body heat inside my double 
layer of jackets but the night is young the 
temperature will continue to drop 
even now i can feel the cornucopia which burned so 
when i first climbed it slowly turning to ice 
cato may win this thing yet i whisper to peeta 
dont you believe it he says pulling up my hood 
but hes shaking harder than i am 
the next hours are the worst in my life which if you 
think about it is saying something the cold would be 
torture enough but the real nightmare is listening to 
cato moaning begging and finally just whimpering 
as the mutts work away at him after a very short 
time i dont care who he is or what hes done all i 
want is for his suffering to end 
why dont they just kill him i ask peeta 
you know why he says and pulls me closer to him 
 
and i do no viewer could turn away from the show 
now from the gamemakers point of view this is the 
final word in entertainment 
it goes on and on and on and eventually completely 
consumes my mind blocking out memories and 
hopes of tomorrow erasing everything but the 
present which i begin to believe will never change 
there will never be anything but cold and fear and 
the agonized sounds of the boy dying in the horn 
peeta begins to doze off now and each time he does i 
find myself yelling his name louder and louder 
because if he goes and dies on me now i know 111 go 
completely insane hes fighting it probably more for 
me than for him and its hard because 
unconsciousness would be its own form of escape 
but the adrenaline pumping through my body would 
never allow me to follow him so i cant let him go i 
just cant 
the only indication of the passage of time lies in the 
heavens the subtle shift of the moon so peeta begins 
pointing it out to me insisting i acknowledge its 
progress and sometimes for just a moment i feel a 
flicker of hope before the agony of the night engulfs 
me again 
finally i hear him whisper that the sun is rising i 
open my eyes and find the stars fading in the pale 
light of dawn i can see too how bloodless peetas 
face has become how little time he has left and i 
know i have to get him back to the capitol 
still no cannon has fired i press my good ear against 
the horn and can just make out catos voice 
i think hes closer now katniss can you shoot 
himpeeta asks 
 
if hes near the mouth i may be able to take him out 
it would be an act of mercy at this point 
my last arrows in your tourniquet i say 
make it count says peeta unzipping his jacket 
letting me loose 
so i free the arrow tying the tourniquet back as 
tightly as my frozen fingers can manage i rub my 
hands together trying to regain circulation when i 
crawl to the lip of the horn and hang over the edge i 
feel peetas hands grip me for support 
it takes a few moments to find cato in the dim light 
in the blood then the raw hunk of meat that used to 
be my enemy makes a sound and i know where his 
mouth is and i think the word hes trying to say is 
please 
pity not vengeance sends my arrow flying into his 
skull peeta pulls me back up bow in hand quiver 
empty 
did you get him he whispers 
the cannon fires in answer 
then we won katniss he says hollowly 
hurray for us i get out but theres no joy of victory 
in my voice 
a hole opens in the plain and as if on cue the 
remaining mutts bound into it disappearing as the 
earth closes above them 
 
we wait for the hovercraft to take catos remains for 
the trumpets of victory that should follow but 
nothing happens 
hey i shout into air whats going on the only 
response is the chatter of waking birds 
maybe its the body maybe we have to move away 
from it says peeta 
i try to remember do you have to distance yourself 
from the dead tribute on the final kill my brain is too 
muddled to be sure but what else could be the 
reason for the delay 
okay think you could make it to the lake i ask 
think i better try says peeta we inch down to the 
tail of the horn and fall to the ground if the stiffness 
in my limbs is this bad how can peeta even move i 
rise first swinging and bending my arms and legs 
until i think i can help him up somehow we make it 
back to the lake i scoop up a handful of the cold 
water for peeta and bring a second to my lips 
a mockingjay gives the long low whistle and tears of 
relief fill my eyes as the hovercraft appears and takes 
catos body away now they will take us now we can 
go home 
but again theres no response 
what are they waiting for says peeta weakly 
between the loss of the tourniquet and the effort it 
took to get to the lake his wound has opened up 
again 
i dont know i say whatever the holdup is i cant 
watch him lose any more blood i get up to find a 
 
stick but almost immediately come across the arrow 
that bounced off catos body armor it will do as well 
as the other arrow as i stoop to pick it up claudius 
templesmiths voice booms into the arena 
greetings to the final contestants of the seventy 
fourth hunger games the earlier revision has been 
revoked closer examination of the rule book has 
disclosed that only one winner may be allowed he 
says good luck and may the odds be ever in your 
favor 
theres a small burst of static and then nothing more 
i stare at peeta in disbelief as the truth sinks in they 
never intended to let us both live this has all been 
devised by the gamemakers to guarantee the most 
dramatic showdown in history and like a fool i 
bought into it 
if you think about it its not that surprising he 
says softly i watch as he painfully makes it to his 
feet then hes moving toward me as if in slow 
motion his hand is pulling the knife from his belt — 
before i am even aware of my actions my bow is 
loaded with the arrow pointed straight at his heart 
peeta raises his eyebrows and i see the knife has 
already left his hand on its way to the lake where it 
splashes in the water i drop my weapons and take a 
step back my face burning in what can only be 
shame 
no he says do it peeta limps toward me and 
thrusts the weapons back in my hands 
i cant i say i wont 
do it before they send those mutts back or 
something i dont 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 itand as i say it i know death right 
here right now would be the easier of the two 
you know i cant peeta says discarding the 
weapons fine ill go first anyway he leans down 
and rips the bandage off his leg eliminating the final 
barrier between his blood and the earth 
no you cant kill yourself i say im on my knees 
desperately plastering the bandage back onto his 
wound 
katniss he says its what i want 
youre not leaving me here alone i say because if 
he dies 111 never go home not really ill spend the 
rest of my life in this arena trying to think my way 
out 
listen he says pulling me to my feet we both 
know they have to have a victor it can only be one of 
us please take it for me and he goes on about 
how he loves me what life would be without me but 
ive stopped listening because his previous words are 
trapped in my head thrashing desperately around 
we both know they have to have a victor 
yes they have to have a victor without a victor the 
whole thing would blow up in the gamemakers faces 
theyd have failed the capitol might possibly even be 
executed slowly and painfully while the cameras 
broadcast it to every screen in the country 
if peeta and i were both to die or they thought we 
were  
 
my fingers fumble with the pouch on my belt freeing 
it peeta sees it and his hand clamps on my wrist 
no i wont let you 
trust me i whisper he holds my gaze for a long 
moment then lets me go i loosen the top of the pouch 
and pour a few spoonfuls of berries into his palm 
then i fill my own on the count of three 
peeta leans down and kisses me once very gently 
the count of three he says 
we stand our backs pressed together our empty 
hands locked tight 
hold them out i want everyone to see he says 
i spread out my fingers and the dark berries glisten 
in the sun i give peetas hand one last squeeze as a 
signal as a goodbye and we begin counting one 
maybe im wrong two maybe they dont care if we 
both die three its too late to change my mind i lift 
my hand to my mouth taking one last look at the 
world the berries have just passed my lips when the 
trumpets begin to blare 
the frantic voice of claudius templesmith shouts 
above them stop stop ladies and gentlemen i am 
pleased to present the victors of the seventyfourth 
hunger games katniss everdeen and peeta mellark i 
give you — the tributes of district twelve 
 
i spew the berries from my mouth wiping my tongue 
with the end of my shirt to make sure no juice 
remains peeta pulls me to the lake where we both 
flush our mouths with water and then collapse into 
each others arms 
you didnt swallow any i ask him 
he shakes his head you 
guess id be dead by now if i did i say i can see his 
lips moving in reply but i cant hear him over the 
roar of the crowd in the capitol that theyre playing 
live over the speakers 
the hovercraft materializes overhead and two ladders 
drop only theres no way im letting go of peeta i 
keep one arm around him as i help him up and we 
each place a foot on the first rung of the ladder the 
electric current freezes us in place and this time im 
glad because im not really sure peeta can hang on for 
the whole ride and since my eyes were looking down 
i can see that while our muscles are immobile 
nothing is preventing the blood from draining out of 
peetas leg sure enough the minute the door closes 
behind us and the current stops he slumps to the 
floor unconscious 
my fingers are still gripping the back of his jacket so 
tightly that when they take him away it tears leaving 
me with a fistful of black fabric doctors in sterile 
white masked and gloved already prepped to 
operate go into action peetas so pale and still on a 
silver table tubes and wires springing out of him 
every which way and for a moment i forget were out 
 
of the games and i see the doctors as just one more 
threat one more pack of mutts designed to kill him 
petrified i lunge for him but im caught and thrust 
back into another room and a glass door seals 
between us i pound on the glass screaming my head 
off everyone ignores me except for some capitol 
attendant who appears behind me and offers me a 
beverage 
i slump down on the floor my face against the door 
staring uncomprehendingly at the crystal glass in my 
hand icy cold filled with orange juice a straw with a 
frilly white collar how wrong it looks in my bloody 
filthy hand with its dirtcaked nails and scars my 
mouth waters at the smell but i place it carefully on 
the floor not trusting anything so clean and pretty 
through the glass i see the doctors working 
feverishly on peeta their brows creased in 
concentration i see the flow of liquids pumping 
through the tubes watch a wall of dials and lights 
that mean nothing to me im not sure but i think his 
heart stops twice 
its like being home again when they bring in the 
hopelessly mangled person from the mine explosion 
or the woman in her third day of labor or the 
famished child struggling against pneumonia and my 
mother and prim they wear that same look on their 
faces now is the time to run away to the woods to 
hide in the trees until the patient is long gone and in 
another part of the seam the hammers make the 
coffin but im held here both by the hovercraft walls 
and the same force that holds the loved ones of the 
dying how often ive seen them ringed around our 
kitchen table and i thought why dont they leave 
why do they stay to watch 
and now i know its because you have no choice 
 
i startle when i catch someone staring at me from 
only a few inches away and then realize its my own 
face reflecting back in the glass wild eyes hollow 
cheeks my hair in a tangled mat rabid feral mad 
no wonder everyone is keeping a safe distance from 
me 
the next thing i know weve landed back on the roof 
of the training center and theyre taking peeta but 
leaving me behind the door i start hurling myself 
against the glass shrieking and i think i just catch a 
glimpse of pink hair — it must be effie it has to be 
effie coming to my rescue — when the needle jabs me 
from behind 
when i wake im afraid to move at first the entire 
ceiling glows with a soft yellow light allowing me to 
see that im in a room containing just my bed no 
doors no windows are visible the air smells of 
something sharp and antiseptic my right arm has 
several tubes that extend into the wall behind me im 
naked but the bedclothes arc soothing against my 
skin i tentatively lift my left hand above the cover 
not only has it been scrubbed clean the nails are 
filed in perfect ovals the scars from the burns are 
less prominent i touch my cheek my lips the 
puckered scar above my eyebrow and am just 
running my fingers through my silken hair when i 
freeze apprehensively i ruffle the hair by my left ear 
no it wasnt an illusion i can hear again 
i try and sit up but some sort of wide restraining 
band around my waist keeps me from rising more 
than a few inches the physical confinement makes 
me panic and im trying to pull myself up and wriggle 
my hips through the band when a portion of the wall 
slides open and in steps the redheaded avox girl 
carrying a tray the sight of her calms me and i stop 
trying to escape i want to ask her a million 
 
questions but im afraid any familiarity would cause 
her harm obviously i am being closely monitored 
she sets the tray across my thighs and presses 
something that raises me to a sitting position while 
she adjusts my pillows i risk one question i say it 
out loud as clearly as my rusty voice will allow so 
nothing will seem secretive did peeta make it she 
gives me a nod and as she slips a spoon into my 
hand i feel the pressure of friendship 
i guess she did not wish me dead after all and peeta 
has made it of course he did with all their 
expensive equipment here still i hadnt been sure 
until now 
as the avox leaves the door closes noiselessly after 
her and i turn hungrily to the tray a bowl of clear 
broth a small serving of applesauce and a glass of 
water this is it i think grouchily shouldnt my 
homecoming dinner be a little more spectacular but 
i find its an effort to finish the spare meal before me 
my stomach seems to have shrunk to the size of a 
chestnut and i have to wonder how long ive been out 
because i had no trouble eating a fairly sizable 
breakfast that last morning in the arena theres 
usually a lag of a few days between the end of the 
competition and the presentation of the victor so that 
they can put the starving wounded mess of a person 
back together again somewhere cinna and portia 
will be creating our wardrobes for the public 
appearances haymitch and effie will be arranging 
the banquet for our sponsors reviewing the questions 
for our final interviews back home district 12 is 
probably in chaos as they try and organize the 
homecoming celebrations for peeta and me given that 
the last one was close to thirty years ago 
 
home prim and my mother gale even the thought 
of prims scruffy old cat makes me smile soon i will 
be home 
i want to get out of this bed to see peeta and cinna 
to find out more about whats been going on and why 
shouldnt i i feel fine but as i start to work my way 
out of the band i feel a cold liquid seeping into my 
vein from one of the tubes and almost immediately 
lose consciousness 
this happens on and off for an indeterminate amount 
of time my waking eating and even though i resist 
the impulse to try and escape the bed being knocked 
out again i seem to be in a strange continual 
twilight only a few things register the redheaded 
avox girl has not returned since the feeding my scars 
are disappearing and do i imagine it or do i hear a 
mans voice yelling not in the capitol accent but in 
the rougher cadences of home and i cant help 
having a vague comforting feeling that someone is 
looking out for me 
then finally the time arrives when i come to and 
theres nothing plugged into my right arm the 
restraint around my middle has been removed and i 
am free to move about i start to sit up but am 
arrested by the sight of my hands the skins 
perfection smooth and glowing not only are the 
scars from the arena gone but those accumulated 
over years of hunting have vanished without a trace 
my forehead feels like satin and when i try to find the 
burn on my calf theres nothing 
i slip my legs out of bed nervous about how they will 
bear my weight and find them strong and steady 
lying at the foot of the bed is an outfit that makes me 
flinch its what all of us tributes wore in the arena i 
 
stare at it as if it had teeth until i remember that of 
course this is what i will wear to greet my team 
im dressed in less than a minute and fidgeting in 
front of the wall where i know theres a door even if i 
cant see it when suddenly it slides open i step into a 
wide deserted hall that appears to have no other 
doors on it but it must and behind one of them 
must be peeta now that im conscious and moving 
im growing more and more anxious about him he 
must be all right or the avox girl wouldnt have said 
so but i need to see him for myself 
peeta i call out since theres no one to ask i hear 
my name in response but its not his voice its a 
voice that provokes first irritation and then eagerness 
effie 
i turn and see them all waiting in a big chamber at 
the end of the hall — effie haymitch and cinna my 
feet take off without hesitation maybe a victor should 
show more restraint more superiority especially 
when she knows this will be on tape but i dont care 
i run for them and surprise even myself when i 
launch into haymitch s arms first when he whispers 
in my ear nice job sweetheart it doesnt sound 
sarcastic effies somewhat teary and keeps patting 
my hair and talking about how she told everyone we 
were pearls cinna just hugs me tight and doesnt say 
anything then i notice portia is absent and get a bad 
feeling 
wheres portia is she with peeta he is all right 
isnt he i mean hes alive i blurt out 
hes fine only they want to do your reunion live on 
air at the ceremony says haymitch 
 
oh thats all i say the awful moment of thinking 
peetas dead again passes i guess id want to see 
that myself 
go on with cinna he has to get you ready says 
haymitch 
its a relief to be alone with cinna to feel his 
protective arm around my shoulders as he guides me 
away from the cameras down a few passages and to 
an elevator that leads to the lobby of the training 
center the hospital then is far underground even 
beneath the gym where the tributes practiced tying 
knots and throwing spears the windows of the lobby 
are darkened and a handful of guards stand on duty 
no one else is there to see us cross to the tribute 
elevator our footsteps echo in the emptiness and 
when we ride up to the twelfth floor the faces of all 
the tributes who will never return flash across my 
mind and theres a heavy tight place in my chest 
when the elevator doors open venia flavius and 
octavia engulf me talking so quickly and ecstatically 
i cant make out their words the sentiment is clear 
though they are truly thrilled to see me and im 
happy to see them too although not like i was to see 
cinna its more in the way one might be glad to see 
an affectionate trio of pets at the end of a particularly 
difficult day 
they sweep me into the dining room and i get a real 
meal — roast beef and peas and soft rolls — although 
my portions are still being strictly controlled because 
when i ask for seconds im refused 
no no no they dont want it all coming back up on 
the stage says octavia but she secretly slips me an 
extra roll under the table to let me know shes on my 
side 
 
we go back to my room and cinna disappears for a 
while as the prep team gets me ready 
oh they did a full body polish on you says flavius 
enviously not a flaw left on your skin 
but when i look at my naked body in the mirror all i 
can see is how skinny i am i mean im sure i was 
worse when i came out of the arena but i can easily 
count my ribs 
they take care of the shower settings for me and they 
go to work on my hair nails and makeup when im 
done they chatter so continuously that i barely have 
to reply which is good since i dont feel very 
talkative its funny because even though theyre 
rattling on about the games its all about where they 
were or what they were doing or how they felt when a 
specific event occurred i was still in bed i had just 
had my eyebrows dyed i swear i nearly fainted 
everything is about them not the dying boys and 
girls in the arena 
we dont wallow around in the games this way in 
district 12 we grit our teeth and watch because we 
must and try to get back to business as soon as 
possible when theyre over to keep from hating the 
prep team i effectively tune out most of what theyre 
saying 
cinna comes in with what appears to be an 
unassuming yellow dress across his arms 
have you given up the whole girl on fire thing i 
ask 
you tell me he says and slips it over my head i 
immediately notice the padding over my breasts 
 
adding curves that hunger has stolen from my body 
my hands go to my chest and i frown 
i know says cinna before i can object but the 
gamemakers wanted to alter you surgically 
haymitch had a huge fight with them over it this 
was the compromise he stops me before i can look 
at my reflection wait dont forget the shoes venia 
helps me into a pair of flat leather sandals and i turn 
to the mirror 
i am still the girl on fire the sheer fabric softly 
glows even the slight movement in the air sends a 
ripple up my body by comparison the chariot 
costume seems garish the interview dress too 
contrived in this dress i give the illusion of wearing 
candlelight 
what do you think asks cinna 
i think its the best yet i say when i manage to pull 
my eyes away from the flickering fabric im in for 
something of a shock my hairs loose held back by a 
simple hairband the makeup rounds and fills out the 
sharp angles of my face a clear polish coats my nails 
the sleeveless dress is gathered at my ribs not my 
waist largely eliminating any help the padding would 
have given my figure the hem falls just to my knees 
without heels you can see my true stature i look 
very simply like a girl a young one fourteen at the 
most innocent harmless yes it is shocking that 
cinna has pulled this off when you remember ive just 
won the games 
this is a very calculated look nothing cinna designs 
is arbitrary i bite my lip trying to figure out his 
motivation 
 
i thought itd be something more  sophisticated 
looking i say 
i thought peeta would like this better he answers 
carefully 
peeta no its not about peeta its about the capitol 
and the gamemakers and the audience although i do 
not yet understand cinnas design its a reminder the 
games are not quite finished and beneath his benign 
reply i sense a warning of something he cant even 
mention in front of his own team 
we take the elevator to the level where we trained its 
customary for the victor and his or her support team 
to rise from beneath the stage first the prep team 
followed by the escort the stylist the mentor and 
finally the victor only this year with two victors who 
share both an escort and a mentor the whole thing 
has had to be rethought i find myself in a poorly lit 
area under the stage a brandnew metal plate has 
been installed to transport me upward you can still 
see small piles of sawdust smell fresh paint cinna 
and the prep team peel off to change into their own 
costumes and take their positions leaving me alone 
in the gloom i see a makeshift wall about ten yards 
away and assume peetas behind it 
the rumbling of the crowd is loud so i dont notice 
haymitch until he touches my shoulder i spring 
away startled still half in the arena i guess 
easy just me lets have a look at you haymitch 
says i hold out my arms and turn once good 
enough 
its not much of a compliment but what i say 
 
haymitchs eyes shift around my musty holding 
space and he seems to make a decision but 
nothing how about a hug for luck 
okay thats an odd request from haymitch but after 
all we are victors maybe a hug for luck is in order 
only when i put my arms around his neck i find 
myself trapped in his embrace he begins talking 
very fast very quietly in my ear my hair concealing 
his lips 
listen up youre in trouble word is the capitols 
furious about you showing them up in the arena the 
one thing they cant stand is being laughed at and 
theyre the joke of panemsays haymitch 
i feel dread coursing through me now but i laugh as 
though haymitch is saying something completely 
delightful because nothing is covering my mouth so 
what 
your only defense can be you were so madly in love 
you werent responsible for your actions haymitch 
pulls back and adjusts my hairband got it 
sweetheart he could be talking about anything now 
got it i say did you tell peeta this 
dont have to says haymitch hes already there 
but you think im not i say taking the opportunity 
to straighten a bright red bow tie cinna must have 
wrestled him into 
since when does it matter what i think says 
haymitch better take our places he leads me to the 
metal circle this is your night sweetheart enjoy it 
he kisses me on the forehead and disappears into the 
gloom 
 
i tug on my skirt willing it to be longer wanting it to 
cover the knocking in my knees then i realize its 
pointless my whole bodys shaking like a leaf 
hopefully it will be put down to excitement after all 
its my night 
the damp moldy smell beneath the stage threatens 
to choke me a cold clammy sweat breaks out on my 
skin and i cant rid myself of the feeling that the 
boards above my head are about to collapse to bury 
me alive under the rubble when i left the arena 
when the trumpets played i was supposed to be safe 
from then on for the rest of my life but if what 
haymitch says is true and hes got no reason to lie 
ive never been in such a dangerous place in my life 
its so much worse than being hunted in the arena 
there i could only die end of story but out here 
prim my mother gale the people of district 12 
everyone i care about back home could be punished if 
i cant pull off the girldrivencrazybylove scenario 
haymitch has suggested 
so i still have a chance though funny in the arena 
when i poured out those berries i was only thinking 
of outsmarting the gamemakers not how my actions 
would reflect on the capitol but the hunger games 
are their weapon and you are not supposed to be able 
to defeat it so now the capitol will act as if theyve 
been in control the whole time as if they orchestrated 
the whole event right down to the double suicide but 
that will only work if i play along with them 
and peeta  peeta will suffer too if this goes wrong 
but what was it haymitch said when i asked if he had 
told peeta the situation that he had to pretend to be 
desperately in love 
dont have to hes already there 
 
already thinking ahead of me in the games again and 
well aware of the danger were in or  already 
desperately in love i dont know i havent even 
begun to separate out my feelings about peeta its too 
complicated what i did as part of the games as 
opposed to what i did out of anger at the capitol or 
because of how it would be viewed back in district 12 
or simply because it was the only decent thing to do 
or what i did because i cared about him 
these are questions to be unraveled back home in 
the peace and quiet of the woods when no one is 
watching not here with every eye upon me but i 
wont have that luxury for who knows how long and 
right now the most dangerous part of the hunger 
games is about to begin 
 
the anthem booms in my ears and then i hear 
caesar flickerman greeting the audience does he 
know how crucial it is to get every word right from 
now on he must he will want to help us the crowd 
breaks into applause as the prep teams are 
presented i imagine flavius venia and octavia 
bouncing around and taking ridiculous bobbing 
bows its a safe bet theyre clueless then effies 
introduced how long shes waited for this moment i 
hope shes able to enjoy it because as misguided as 
effie can be she has a very keen instinct about 
certain things and must at least suspect were in 
trouble portia and cinna receive huge cheers of 
course theyve been brilliant had a dazzling debut i 
now understand cinna s choice of dress for me for 
tonight ill need to look as girlish and innocent as 
possible haymitchs appearance brings a round of 
stomping that goes on at least five minutes well hes 
accomplished a first keeping not only one but two 
tributes alive what if he hadnt warned me in time 
would i have acted differently flaunted the moment 
with the berries in the capitols face no i dont think 
so but i could easily have been a lot less convincing 
than i need to be now right now because i can feel 
the plate lifting me up to the stage 
blinding lights the deafening roar rattles the metal 
under my feet then theres peeta just a few yards 
away he looks so clean and healthy and beautiful i 
can hardly recognize him but his smile is the same 
whether in mud or in the capitol and when i see it i 
take about three steps and fling myself into his arms 
he staggers back almost losing his balance and 
thats when i realize the slim metal contraption in his 
hand is some kind of cane he rights himself and we 
 
just cling to each other while the audience goes 
insane hes kissing me and all the time im thinking 
do you know do you know how much danger were 
in after about ten minutes of this caesar 
flickerman taps on his shoulder to continue the 
show and peeta just pushes him aside without even 
glancing at him the audience goes berserk whether 
he knows or not peeta is as usual playing the crowd 
exactly right 
finally haymitch interrupts us and gives us a good 
natured shove toward the victors chair usually this 
is a single ornate chair from which the winning 
tribute watches a film of the highlights of the games 
but since there are two of us the gamemakers have 
provided a plush red velvet couch a small one my 
mother would call it a love seat i think i sit so close 
to peeta that im practically on his lap but one look 
from haymitch tells me it isnt enough kicking off my 
sandals i tuck my feet to the side and lean my head 
against peetas shoulder his arm goes around me 
automatically and i feel like im back in the cave 
curled up against him trying to keep warm his shirt 
is made of the same yellow material as my dress but 
portias put him in long black pants no sandals 
either but a pair of sturdy black boots he keeps 
solidly planted on the stage i wish cinna had given 
me a similar outfit i feel so vulnerable in this flimsy 
dress but i guess that was the point 
caesar flickerman makes a few more jokes and then 
its time for the show this will last exactly three 
hours and is required viewing for all of panem as the 
lights dim and the seal appears on the screen i 
realize im unprepared for this i do not want to watch 
my twenty two fellow tributes die i saw enough of 
them die the first time my heart starts pounding and 
i have a strong impulse to run how have the other 
victors faced this alone during the highlights they 
 
periodically show the winners reaction up on a box in 
the corner of the screen i think back to earlier years 
   some are triumphant pumping their fists in the 
air beating their chests most just seem stunned all 
i know is that the only thing keeping me on this love 
seat is peeta — his arm around my shoulder his 
other hand claimed by both of mine of course the 
previous victors didnt have the capitol looking for a 
way to destroy them 
condensing several weeks into three hours is quite a 
feat especially when you consider how many cameras 
were going at once whoever puts together the 
highlights has to choose what sort of story to tell 
this year for the first time they tell a love story i 
know peeta and i won but a disproportionate amount 
of time is spent on us right from the beginning im 
glad though because it supports the whole crazyin 
love thing thats my defense for defying the capitol 
plus it means we wont have as much time to linger 
over the deaths 
the first half hour or so focuses on the prearena 
events the reaping the chariot ride through the 
capitol our training scores and our interviews 
theres this sort of upbeat soundtrack playing under 
it that makes it twice as awful because of course 
almost everyone onscreen is dead 
once were in the arena theres detailed coverage of 
the bloodbath and then the filmmakers basically 
alternate between shots of tributes dying and shots of 
us mostly peeta really theres no question hes 
carrying this romance thing on his shoulders now i 
see what the audience saw how he misled the 
careers about me stayed awake the entire night 
under the tracker j acker tree fought cato to let me 
escape and even while he lay in that mud bank 
whispered my name in his sleep i seem heartless in 
 
comparison — dodging fireballs dropping nests and 
blowing up supplies — until i go hunting for rue 
they play her death in full the spearing my failed 
rescue attempt my arrow through the boy from 
district 1 s throat rue drawing her last breath in my 
arms and the song i get to sing every note of the 
song something inside me shuts down and im too 
numb to feel anything its 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 
things pick up for me once theyve announced two 
tributes from the same district can live and i shout 
out peetas name and then clap my hands over my 
mouth if ive seemed indifferent to him earlier i 
make up for it now by finding him nursing him back 
to health going to the feast for the medicine and 
being very free with my kisses objectively i can see 
the mutts and catos death are as gruesome as ever 
but again i feel it happens to people i have never met 
and then comes the moment with the berries i can 
hear the audience hushing one another not wanting 
to miss anything a wave of gratitude to the 
filmmakers sweeps over me when they end not with 
the announcement of our victory but with me 
pounding on the glass door of the hovercraft 
screaming peetas name as they try to revive him 
in terms of survival its my best moment all night 
the anthems playing yet again and we rise as 
president snow himself takes the stage followed by a 
little girl carrying a cushion that holds the crown 
theres just one crown though and you can hear the 
crowds confusion — whose head will he place it on 
— until president snow gives it a twist and it 
 
separates into two halves he places the first around 
peetas brow with a smile hes still smiling when he 
settles the second on my head but his eyes just 
inches from mine are as unforgiving as a snakes 
thats when i know that even though both of us 
would have eaten the berries i am to blame for 
having the idea im the instigator im the one to be 
punished 
much bowing and cheering follows my arm is about 
to fall off from waving when caesar flickerman finally 
bids the audience good night reminding them to tune 
in tomorrow for the final interviews as if they have a 
choice 
peeta and i are whisked to the presidents mansion 
for the victory banquet where we have very little time 
to eat as capitol officials and particularly generous 
sponsors elbow one another out of the way as they try 
to get their picture with us face after beaming face 
flashes by becoming increasingly intoxicated as the 
evening wears on occasionally i catch a glimpse of 
haymitch which is reassuring or president snow 
which is terrifying but i keep laughing and thanking 
people and smiling as my picture is taken the one 
thing i never do is let go of peetas hand 
the sun is just peeking over the horizon when we 
straggle back to the twelfth floor of the training 
center i think now 111 finally get a word alone with 
peeta but haymitch sends him off with portia to get 
something fitted for the interview and personally 
escorts me to my door 
why cant i talk to him i ask 
plenty of time for talk when we get home says 
haymitch go to bed youre on air at two 
 
despite haymitchs running interference im 
determined to see peeta privately after i toss and 
turn for a few hours i slip into the hall my first 
thought is to check the roof but its empty even the 
city streets far below are deserted after the 
celebration last night i go back to bed for a while and 
then decide to go directly to his room but when i try 
to turn the knob i find my own bedroom door has 
been locked from the outside i suspect haymitch 
initially but then theres a more insidious fear that 
the capitol may by monitoring and confining me ive 
been unable to escape since the hunger games 
began but this feels different much more personal 
this feels like ive been imprisoned for a crime and 
im awaiting sentencing i quickly get back in bed and 
pretend to sleep until effie trinket comes to alert me 
to the start of another big big big day 
i have about five minutes to eat a bowl of hot grain 
and stew before the prep team descends all i have to 
say is the crowd loved you and its unnecessary to 
speak for the next couple of hours when cinna 
comes in he shoos them out and dresses me in a 
white gauzy dress and pink shoes then he 
personally adjusts my makeup until i seem to radiate 
a soft rosy glow we make idle chitchat but im 
afraid to ask him anything of real importance because 
after the incident with the door i cant shake the 
feeling that im being watched constantly 
the interview takes place right down the hall in the 
sitting room a space has been cleared and the love 
seat has been moved in and surrounded by vases of 
red and pink roses there are only a handful of 
cameras to record the event no live audience at least 
caesar flickerman gives me a warm hug when i 
come in congratulations katniss how are you 
faring 
 
fine nervous about the interview i say 
dont be were going to have a fabulous time he 
says giving my cheek a reassuring pat 
im not good at talking about myself i say 
nothing you say will be wrong he says 
and i think oh caesar if only that were true but 
actually president snow may be arranging some sort 
ofaccident for me as we speak 
then peetas there looking handsome in red and 
white pulling me off to the side i hardly get to see 
you haymitch seems bent on keeping us apart 
haymitch is actually bent on keeping us alive but 
there are too many ears listening so i just say yes 
hes gotten very responsible lately 
well theres just this and we go home then he cant 
watch us all the time says peeta 
i feel a sort of shiver run through me and theres no 
time to analyze why because theyre ready for us we 
sit somewhat formally on the love seat but caesar 
says oh go ahead and curl up next to him if you 
want it looked very sweet so i tuck my feet up and 
peeta pulls me in close to him 
someone counts backward and just like that were 
being broadcast live to the entire country caesar 
flickerman is wonderful teasing joking getting 
choked up when the occasion presents itself he and 
peeta already have the rapport they established that 
night of the first interview that easy banter so i just 
smile a lot and try to speak as little as possible i 
 
mean i have to talk some but as soon as i can i 
redirect the conversation back to peeta 
eventually though caesar begins to pose questions 
that insist on fuller answers well peeta we know 
from our days in the cave that it was love at first 
sight for you from what age five caesar says 
from the moment i laid eyes on her says peeta 
but katniss what a ride for you i think the real 
excitement for the audience was watching you fall for 
him when did you realize you were in love with him 
asks caesar 
oh thats a hard one  i give a faint breathy laugh 
and look down at my hands help 
well i know when it hit me the night when you 
shouted out his name from that tree says caesar 
thank you caesar i think and then go with his idea 
yes i guess that was it i mean until that point i 
just tried not to think about what my feelings might 
be honestly because it was so confusing and it only 
made things worse if i actually cared about him but 
then in the tree everything changed i say 
why do you think that was urges caesar 
maybe    because for the first time    there was a 
chance i could keep him i say 
behind a cameraman i see haymitch give a sort of 
huff with relief and i know ive said the right thing 
caesar pulls out a handkerchief and has to take a 
moment because hes so moved i can feel peeta press 
his forehead into my temple and he asks so now 
 
that youve got me what are you going to do with 
me 
i turn in to him put you somewhere you cant get 
hurt and when he kisses me people in the room 
actually sigh 
for caesar this is a natural place to segue into all 
the ways we did get hurt in the arena from burns to 
stings to wounds but its not until we get around to 
the mutts that i forget im on camera when caesar 
asks peeta how his new leg is working out 
new leg i say and i cant help reaching out and 
pulling up the bottom of peetas pants oh no i 
whisper taking in the metalandplastic device that 
has replaced his flesh 
no one told you asks caesar gently i shake my 
head 
i havent had the chance says peeta with a slight 
shrug 
its my fault i say because i used that tourniquet 
yes its your fault im alive says peeta 
hes right says caesar hed have bled to death for 
sure without it 
i guess this is true but i cant help feeling upset 
about it to the extent that im afraid i might cry and 
then i remember everyone in the country is watching 
me so i just bury my face in peetas shirt it takes 
them a couple of minutes to coax me back out 
because its better in the shirt where no one can see 
me and when i do come out caesar backs off 
 
questioning me so i can recover in fact he pretty 
much leaves me alone until the berries come up 
katniss i know youve had a shock but ive got to 
ask the moment when you pulled out those berries 
what was going on in your mind  hm he says 
i take a long pause before i answer trying to collect 
my thoughts this is the crucial moment where i 
either challenged the capitol or went so crazy at the 
idea of losing peeta that i cant be held responsible for 
my actions it seems to call for a big dramatic 
speech but all i get out is one almost inaudible 
sentence i dont know i just  couldnt bear the 
thought of  being without him 
peeta anything to add asks caesar 
no i think that goes for both of us he says 
caesar signs off and its over everyones laughing 
and crying and hugging but im still not sure until i 
reach haymitchokay i whisper 
perfect he answers 
i go back to my room to collect a few things and find 
theres nothing to take but the mockingjay pin madge 
gave me someone returned it to my room after the 
games they drive us through the streets in a car 
with blackened windows and the trains waiting for 
us we barely have time to say goodbye to cinna and 
portia although well see them in a few months when 
we tour the districts for a round of victory 
ceremonies its the capitols way of reminding people 
that the hunger games never really go away well be 
given a lot of useless plaques and everyone will have 
to pretend they love us 
 
the train begins moving and were plunged into night 
until we clear the tunnel and i take my first free 
breath since the reaping effie is accompanying us 
back and haymitch too of course we eat an 
enormous dinner and settle into silence in front of the 
television to watch a replay of the interview with the 
capitol growing farther away every second i begin to 
think of home of prim and my mother of gale i 
excuse myself to change out of my dress and into a 
plain shirt and pants as i slowly thoroughly wash 
the makeup from my face and put my hair in its 
braid i begin transforming back into myself katniss 
everdeen a girl who lives in the seam hunts in the 
woods trades in the hob i stare in the mirror as i try 
to remember who i am and who i am not by the time 
i join the others the pressure of peetas arm around 
my shoulders feels alien 
when the train makes a brief stop for fuel were 
allowed to go outside for some fresh air theres no 
longer any need to guard us peeta and i walk down 
along the track hand in hand and i cant find 
anything to say now that were alone he stops to 
gather a bunch of wildflowers for me when he 
presents them i work hard to look pleased because 
he cant know that the pinkandwhite flowers are the 
tops of wild onions and only remind me of the hours 
ive spent gathering them with gale 
gale the idea of seeing gale in a matter of hours 
makes my stomach churn but why i cant quite 
frame it in my mind i only know that i feel like ive 
been lying to someone who trusts me or more 
accurately to two people ive been getting away with 
it up to this point because of the games but there 
will be no games to hide behind back home 
whats wrong peeta asks 
 
nothing i answer we continue walking past the 
end of the train out where even im fairly sure there 
are no cameras hidden in the scrubby bushes along 
the track still no words come 
haymitch startles me when he lays a hand on my 
back even now in the middle of nowhere he keeps 
his voice down great job you two just keep it up in 
the district until the cameras are gone we should be 
okay i watch him head back to the train avoiding 
peetas eyes 
whats he mean peeta asks me 
its the capitol they didnt like our stunt with the 
berries i blurt out 
what what are you talking about he says 
it seemed too rebellious so haymitch has been 
coaching me through the last few days so i didnt 
make it worse i say 
coaching you but not me says peeta 
he knew you were smart enough to get it right i 
say 
i didnt know there was anything to get right says 
peeta so what youre saying is these last few days 
and then i guess    back in the arena    that was just 
some strategy you two worked out 
no i mean i couldnt even talk to him in the arena 
could i i stammer 
but you knew what he wanted you to do didnt 
yousays peeta i bite my lip 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 whats going to be left when we get home 
he says 
i dont know the closer we get to district twelve the 
more confused i get i say he waits for further 
explanation but nones forthcoming 
well let me know when you work it out he says 
and the pain in his voice is palpable 
i know my ears are healed because even with the 
rumble of the engine i can hear every step he takes 
back to the train by the time ive climbed aboard 
peeta has disappeared into his room for the night i 
dont see him the next morning either in fact the 
next time he turns up were pulling into district 12 
he gives me a nod his face expressionless 
i want to tell him that hes not being fair that we 
were strangers that i did what it took to stay alive to 
keep us both alive in the arena that i cant explain 
how things are with gale because i dont know 
myself that its no good loving me because im never 
going to get married anyway and hed just end up 
hating me later instead of sooner that if i do have 
feelings for him it doesnt matter because ill never be 
able to afford the kind of love that leads to a family to 
children and how can he how can he after what 
weve just been through 
i also want to tell him how much i already miss him 
but that wouldnt be fair on my part 
 
so we just stand there silently watching our grimy 
little station rise up around us through the window 
i can see the platforms thick with cameras everyone 
will be eagerly watching our homecoming 
out of the corner of my eye i see peeta extend his 
hand i look at him unsure one more time for the 
audience he says his voice isnt angry its hollow 
which is worse already the boy with the bread is 
slipping away from me 
i take his hand holding on tightly preparing for the 
cameras and dreading the moment when i will finally 
have to let go 
 
end of book one