Page 2 (1/2)

2

One tiaround, landing on my back It was as if the is, and I lay there struggling to inhale, to exhale, to do anything

That&039;s how I feel now, trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the na my arm, a boy froht me

TherePri chosen so remote that I&039;d not even bothered to worry about her Hadn&039;t 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 hadn&039;t mattered

So unhappily as they always do when a twelve-year-old gets chosen because no one thinks this is fair And then I see her, the blood drained fro with stiff, s me, and I see the back of her blouse has becos out over her skirt It&039;s this detail, the untucked blouse fors led cry coain "Prih the crowd The other kids e I reach her just as she is about to mount the steps With one sweep of asp "I volunteer as tribute!"

There&039;s soe District 12 hasn&039;t had a volunteer in decades and the protocol has become rusty The rule is that once a tribute&039;s naible boy, if a boy&039;s nairl&039;s name has been read, can step forward to take his or her place In soreat honor, people are eager to risk their lives, the volunteering is complicated But in District 12, where the word tribute is pretty much synonymous with the word corpse, volunteers are all but extinct

"Lovely!" says Effie Trinket "But I believe there&039;s a s for volunteers, and if one does come forth then we, um " she trails off, unsure herself

"What does itat me with a pained expression on his face He doesn&039;t know nition there I ahter o 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 reruffly "Let her co hysterically behind me She&039;s wrapped her skinny aro!"

"Pri me and I don&039;t want to cry When they televise the replay of the reapings tonight, everyone will et A weakling I will give no one that satisfaction "Let go!"

I can feel so her froround and she&039;s thrashing in his arhting to keep steady, and then he carries Prim off toward my mother I steel ushes Effie Trinket "That&039;s the spirit of the Games!" She&039;s pleased to finally have a district with a little action going on in it "What&039;s your name?"

I s hard "Katniss Everdeen," I say

"I bet my buttons that was your sister Don&039;t want her to steal all the glory, do we? Co 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 Pri applause, I stand there un while they take part in the boldest forree We do not condone All of this is wrong

Then so unexpected happens At least, I don&039;t expect it because I don&039;t think of District 12 as a place that cares about me But a shift has occurred since I stepped up to take Prim&039;s place, and now it seems I have become someone precious At first one, then another, then alers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to esture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals It ood-bye to soer of crying, but fortunately Haye to congratulatean ar for such a wreck "I like her!" His breath reeks of liquor and it&039;s been a long time since he&039;s bathed "Lots of " He can&039;t think of the word for a while "Spunk!" he says triumphantly "More than you!" he releases e "More than you!" he shouts, pointing directly into a ca the audience or is he so drunk hethe Capitol? I&039;ll never know because just as he&039;s opening his e and knocks hi, but I&039;leefully trained on hih 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 cli with Gale For athe district ht 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 atte, which has listed severely to the right "But more excitement to co to contain her tenuous hair situation, she plants one hand on her head as she crosses to the ball that contains the boys&039; narabs the first slip she encounters She zips back to the podium, and I don&039;t even have ti the name "Peeta Mellark"

Peeta Mellark!

Oh, no, I think Not hih I have never spoken directly to its owner Peeta Mellark

No, the odds are not in my favor today I watch hiht, stocky build, ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead The shock of the le to remain emotionless, but his blue eyes show the alarm I&039;ve seen so often in prey Yet he clie and takes his place

Effie Trinket asks for volunteers, but no one steps forward He has two older brothers, I know, I&039;ve seen them in the bakery, but one is probably too old now to volunteer and the other won&039;t This is standard Fa day What I did was the radical thing

The , dull Treaty of Treason as he does every year at this point - it&039;s required - but I&039; to a word

Why him? I think Then I try to convince myself it doesn&039;t hbors We don&039;t speak Our only real interaction happened years ago He&039;s probably forgotten it But I haven&039;t and I know I never will