Chapter 3 Chapter Three Death Threats

The smell of blood...hidden in his breath. What did he do?I was thinking, drink blood?I imagined him raising his glass to sip his blood, the biscuit was dipped in the glass, and it was red when he took it out. Outside the window, a car came to pick him up, made a soft sound like a cat's panting, and then disappeared into the distance.It comes and goes quietly, like a breeze. The room seemed to be slowly spinning in one direction, and I felt like I was going to pass out.I leaned forward, holding on to the chair with one hand, still clutching Peeta's beautiful cookie with the other.What looked like a lilac flower had been on the original biscuit, but now it was reduced to dust in my clenched fist. I didn't realize that I was clenching my fist, just wanting to grab something while the world was spinning.

The visit of President Snow, the severe situation of riots in various districts, the direct death threat to Gail, and the subsequent threats to others, everyone I love is facing annihilation.God knows who else will suffer for what I did?Unless I turn the tables on this trip, clear the hearts of the people, and put President Snow at ease.But what to do?I'm going to prove to the country that I love Peeta Mylark. I can't do it, I don't have that much ability.I think.Peeta is better than me, he Seems to be ok.He can make people believe anything.I could keep silent and let him talk as much as I could; but it wasn't Peeta who needed proof of his commitment to this love, it was me.

I heard my mother's light, quick footsteps in the corridor.Don't let her know, don't reveal any news to her.I'm thinking about it.I reached over to the plate, slapped the crumbs off my hands, and tremblingly picked up the teacup. "How are you, Katniss?" she asked. "Good. We've never seen it on TV before, but the President always visits the winners before the tour and wishes everyone good luck," I said with a relaxed expression. Mom's face suddenly eased: "Oh, I thought I was in trouble again." "No, it's okay." I said, "I won't be in trouble until my makeup artist comes and sees that my eyebrows have grown again." Mom laughed.I thought to myself, since I was eleven years old when I took up the burden of raising a family, I need to protect her all the time, from then to now, it has never changed.

"Why don't you let me shower you now?" she asked. "Great," I said, and I could tell she was delighted to hear me. Since I came home, I tried my best to repair the relationship with my mother and let her do something for me instead of rejecting all her good intentions, like before, rejecting her because she was angry with her.I put all the money I earned into her hands, and from time to time I took the initiative to hug her instead of pinching my nose and enduring her hugs.The days in the arena taught me that I should stop punishing her for something she was unable to do, especially not blame her for her hopeless state after Dad passed away.Because sometimes people encounter changes, but they are powerless to resist.

Just like where I am now. Plus, she did a great job after I got back to District 12.After family and friends meet me and Peeta at the station, reporters can ask questions.Someone asked my mom what she thought of my new boyfriend, and she replied that Peeta was an ideal young man, but I wasn't old enough for a relationship.She finishes with a look at Peeta.This remark drew a lot of laughter, and also attracted comments from reporters such as "someone is going to be in trouble".Peeta dropped my hand and stepped aside.It didn't last long, though, and we were under a lot of pressure to hold hands; but at least it gave us an excuse not to be as close as we were on the Capitol.Maybe that's why Peeta and I didn't spend much time together after the reporters left.

I went upstairs to the bathroom, where a tub full of water was waiting for me, and Mom had scented the bathroom with a bag of dried flowers.We never had the luxury of having only cold water in our home in the Seam, and taking a shower had to boil water on the stove.But now when I turn on the tap, hot water will gurgle out.Mom also put essential oils in the water, the water is soft and silky.I took off my clothes and soaked in the water, and then I began to think about my own thoughts. The first question is, to whom should I tell all this?Who can tell?Apparently neither Mom nor Prim could do it, they would just be terribly worried.Neither can Gail.Even if I pass the word to him, what can he do?If he's just alone, I can let him run away.Of course, he can survive in the jungle, but he is not alone, and he can never leave his family.or me.If I had just returned home, I could have told him that everything about us was in the past, but that was impossible.Now I can only think about what to do next.Plus, Gale is already so dissatisfied with the Capitol that I sometimes feel like he's planning a riot himself.The last thing he needs is an inducement.No, I can't tell anyone in District 12.

There are three more people I can trust, starting with Sienna, my designer.But I guess Cinna himself is already in danger, and I don't want him to get into more trouble by getting closer to me.Next up was Peeta, who was my partner in the next bullshit show.But how can I speak up?Hey Peeta, do you remember my feelings for you were fake?Hey, I want you to forget about all of this now and pretend to love me more or the President will kill Gale.I can't do that.Besides, Peeta will do his job whether he knows the danger or not.Then there's Haymitch in the end.Drunk, surly, and bullshit Haymitch, I poured a basin of cold water over his head not too long ago.As the instructor in the competition, he is responsible for my survival, and now I hope he can still fulfill his duties.

I submerged myself in the water and let the water block out the outside sound.I wish the bathtub would be bigger and I could swim in it like I used to swim in the pond with my dad on a hot summer day.Those were special days, when we left home early in the morning and went deep into the woods, where there was a lake that Dad had found while hunting.I can't even remember how I learned to swim, I was too young when my father taught me.I just remember diving, somersaulting in the water, and playing in the water. The mud at the bottom of the pond was soft, and the fragrance of flowers and greenery wafted around.I turned my back to the sky, just like now, looking at the blue sky, and the sound of the woods was blocked by the water.Dad went to catch the teals that made their nests on the bank and put them in bags, and I went to the grass to find the eggs, and we also dug katenis root together in shallow water. He named me after this plant .At night, when we got home, Mom would pretend she didn't recognize me because I was so clean.Then, she cooks up a savory roasted teal and roasted katenis root in gravy.

I never took Gail to that lake, I should.It takes a long time to get there, but the teals there are easy to catch, which can help during the off-season of hunting.However, I never really wanted to share that lake with anyone. This is a place that belongs only to Dad and me.I've been there a few times since the Hunger Games with nothing to do.It's still good to swim there, but I feel oppressed.Although five years have passed, the water in the lake is still as clear as ever, without any change; but I am a completely different person. Even in the water, I could hear restlessness, car horns blaring, people cheering, doors slamming.These sounds mean it's time for my tour.No sooner had I removed the towel and put on my bathrobe than my makeup artists rushed into the bathroom.When it comes to my body, there is no privacy between us, the three of them and me.

"Oh, Katniss, your eyebrows!" shrieked Vinia.At this time, despite the gloom in my heart, I squeezed out a smiling face.Her light green hair had been redone, with a full head of hair standing up like a hedgehog, and the decoration that used to be only above the eyebrows was now curled and extended below the eyes, so naturally I surprised her. Octavia stepped forward and patted Venia on the back as if comforting. Compared with Venia's thin, angular figure, her figure was plump and curvy. "Come on, come on, you can get her eyebrows done in no time, but what am I going to do with her nails?"

She took my hand and clamped it between hers, which were dyed watercress green.No, her skin is no longer watercress green, but light evergreen.This change in color was apparently an attempt to keep up with the Capitol's fickle trends. "Oh, Katniss, you should give me some leeway!" she wailed. That's right, I've been biting my nails bald over the past few months.I also wanted to get rid of this bad habit, but I couldn't think of a good reason. "Sorry." I muttered.This will affect the work of the makeup artist, which I didn't really think about before. Flavius ​​grabbed a few strands of my dry, tangled hair.Shaking his head helplessly, the screw-shaped orange curls on his head also swayed. "Has anyone touched your hair since the last time we broke up?" he asked stubbornly. "Remember, I specifically asked no one to touch your hair." "Remember." I said.Good thing I didn't take my hair for granted, "I mean, no one cut it, I really remember." No, I didn't remember, and I didn't so much remember it as I ignored it.Ever since I got home, I've had a big braid in my back as I always do. In this way, they finally got some comfort.They kissed me and pulled me to sit on a chair in the bedroom.Then I started chattering like I used to, doing my work and not caring whether I would listen or not.Vinia reshape my brows, Octavia puts on fake nails, and Flavio puts conditioner on my hair.From their conversations I learned a lot about the Capitol, how big the Hunger Games was, how boring everything was afterward, how people were looking forward to returning to the Capitol after my victory tour with Peeta, and after that, it was a long time. The century limit race is about to start and so on. "Isn't that exciting?" "Don't you consider yourself lucky?" "In the first year after winning, you can be an instructor in the Century Extreme Competition." They were very excited, and their excited words were superimposed. "Ah, yes." I said nonchalantly.That's all I can say.Every year, the job of an instructor is a nightmare.Now whenever I pass by the school, I always think about which kid I might be mentoring.To make matters worse, the seventy-fifth Hunger Games will be held this year, which means that every twenty-five years, the century limit game will be held again. Although most districts failed in the previous game, they will hold absurd celebration ceremony , in order to increase the fun of the celebration, the "tributes" in each district should suffer more torture.Of course, I have lived a long life, and I haven't caught up with a century limit competition, but I seem to have heard the teacher say that in the second century limit competition, the Capitol requires each district to select twice as many players as before to participate in the competition.The teacher didn't go into details, but it was surprising, because it was the year that Haymitch Abernathur from District 12 won the crown. "Haymitch is going to be a hit this time," Octavia squealed. Haymitch had never mentioned his personal experience in the arena to me before.I never asked either.Even if I had seen tapes of his shows in the arena before, it must have been too small to remember.But the Capitol won't let him forget the year.In a way, it was a good thing that Peeta and I were the instructors in XXX, because Haymitch was always so demoralized that he couldn't do it well. Once they get tired of talking about Xtreme, they start talking about their stupid lives instead.What did someone say bad things about so and so I've never heard of, what kind of shoes they just bought, how big is it that Octavia made everyone wear costumes with feathers at her birthday party Wrong, this is a long story. It wasn't long before my brows were tingling, my hair was slick, and my nails were ready to be painted.Apparently they had been instructed to only touch up my hands and face, the rest must have been covered up because of the cold.Flavio was tempted to use his signature purple lipstick, but when he finally started coloring my face and nails, he went with pink.I saw the swatches Cinna assigned them and knew my makeup was about cuteness, not sexiness.That's fine, if I try to be sexy, nothing about me is convincing.This became clear when Haymitch trained me to do TV interviews. Mom came in, a little sheepishly, and told my makeup artist that Cinna asked her to show them the hairstyle she had done for me at the Harvest ceremony.My makeup artists showed great enthusiasm, watching raptly while my mom made my intricate braids.In the mirror, I saw them carefully watching every movement of their mother. When it was their turn, everyone was eager to try.To be honest, when the three of them respected and were so good to their mother, I felt very guilty for looking down on them so much before.If I grew up in the Capitol, who can say who I would be and what I would say?Perhaps by then, my biggest regret would be having everyone wear feathers at my birthday party. When the hair was done, I found Cinna downstairs in the living room, and whenever I saw him my heart filled with hope.He was still the same as usual, simple clothes, short brown hair, a little gold eyeliner.We hugged each other, and I almost couldn't help telling him about President Snow's visit to the house.But I didn't, and I decided to tell Haymitch first, he knew best who should know.Talking to Cinna felt so easy.We talked a lot on the phone recently after we moved.It's kind of ridiculous that almost no one we know has a phone.Of course Peeta has a phone, but I don't talk to him very often.Haymitch ripped the phone wires out of the walls years ago.My friend, March, the mayor's daughter, has a telephone at home, but if we want to talk, we talk face to face.At first, the call was of little use, but then Cinna called and encouraged me to develop my talent. Every winner must have a talent.Because there is neither school nor work after winning the game.The talent of the winner can be manifested in any aspect, any talent that can be interviewed by reporters.Peeta's talent shows in painting.He used to make icing sugar in his parents' workshop for many years, but now he is rich enough to paint on canvas.I have no special talents, unless you count hunting, which is illegal and doesn't count.Or sing, and I wouldn't sing for the Capitol in ten thousand years.Mom wanted to pick something for me from the list Effie Trinket made, like cooking, flower arranging, playing the flute.None of them suit me, but Prim has a strong feeling for all three.In the end, it was Cinna who helped me. He encouraged me to develop an interest in fashion design, which put a high demand on me, because I have no interest in it at all; but because I can talk to Cinna in design, I agreed , and Sina also said that he would do his best. Right now, Cinna is arranging everything to do with the talent show in the living room: the costumes, the fabrics, the sketches that include his designs.I picked up a sketch of the design and looked carefully at the pattern I assumed to be my design. "You know, I'm pretty promising," I said. "Put on your clothes, you useless bastard," he said, throwing a bundle of clothes at me. Maybe I'm not interested in fashion design, but I really like the clothes that Cinna designs for me.Like these, smart trousers made of thick and soft fabrics, comfortable white shirts, soft sweaters knitted with green, blue and gray wool, leather boots with buckles, these boots do not catch me foot. "I designed these clothes?" I said. "No, you're eager to design clothes for yourself, to be a designer like me, and I'm your hero," Cinna said.He handed me a stack of cards, "When the photographer shoots the clothes, you have to follow the words on it. Try to show that you are very serious." As I was speaking, Effie Trinket appeared in front of me. She was wearing a pumpkin-colored wig, which was very eye-catching. "Everything is going according to plan." She came up and kissed me on both cheeks, waved for the photographers to come in, and asked me to stand in a specific position for the shoot.In the Capitol, we depend on Effie to arrange our schedule, so I try to cooperate with her as much as possible.The rest of the time, I was bobbed around like a puppet, picking up a costume every now and then, and saying nonsense like, "Don't you think this costume is cute?"I read Sinaka's words in a light-hearted voice, and the sound crew recorded the voice and added it later in the edit.Then I was kicked out of the room so the recording crew could quietly film me or Cinna's costumes. Prim came back from school early for today's event.At this time, she was standing in the kitchen, being interviewed and filmed by another group of people.She looked lovely in a sky-blue top that matched the color of her eyes, and her blonde hair was tied back with a matching headband.She was wearing a pair of snow-white and shiny boots, her body leaned forward slightly, like a bird spreading its wings, very much like—— God!It felt like a sudden blow to my chest!The sting was so real I staggered back a step.I closed my eyes, and instead of Prim, it was Lulu, the Lulu from District 11 who had been my partner in the arena.She can fly, from tree to tree, and climb the thinnest branches, Lulu, I couldn't save her.I watched her die before my eyes.I picture her lying on the ground with a spear in her stomach... Who else would perish in the Capitol's vengeance than I could save?If I can't satisfy President Snow, who else will die for it? That's when I realized Cinna was pulling a fur coat over me, and I raised my arms to feel a fur coat wrapped around me, an animal I hadn't seen before fur. "It's ermine," Cinna told me as I stroked the white sleeves, leather gloves, a bright red scarf, and the fur covered my ears. "You're going to bring earmuffs back into fashion." I hate earmuffs.I can't hear well when I wear it, and I've hated it even more since the last time I went deaf in one ear in the arena.After I won, the Capitol helped restore my hearing, but I still test my hearing from time to time. Mother hurried over with something in her hand. "Good luck," she said. It was a solid gold hoop brooch with a mockingjay that March gave me before I was in the Hunger Games.I tried to give it to Lulu, but she refused, saying it was the brooch that made her trust me.Cinna pinned the brooch to my scarf. Standing aside, Effie clapped her hands and said, "Attention everyone! Now we will have the first outdoor shoot, the two winners will greet each other first, and then this wonderful trip will begin. Okay, Katniss , have a good laugh, now you are very excited, right?" Then she pushed me out the door, which is not an exaggeration at all. The snow was falling harder and my vision was blurry, and then I saw Peeta coming out of his house.At this moment, President Snow's words echoed in my head, "Let me trust you." I knew that I had to do it. I walk over to Peeta, a happy smile on my face.Then, like I can't wait, I run over to Peeta.He hugged me, spun on the ground, and fell down—he still couldn't control his prosthetic leg very well.We fell together in the snow, me on top of him, and next, we kissed for the first time in months, with the hairs off the coat, the snowflakes, the lipstick, and everything else Besides, I could feel Peeta's kiss as hot as ever.I know I am no longer alone.Even though I hurt him, he didn't expose me in front of the camera, didn't give me fake kisses out of resentment towards me, he was still covering for me, like that time in the arena.Thinking of this, somehow, I want to cry.But I didn't cry, I pulled him up from the snow, took his arm with my arm, and happily embarked on our journey. Then there was another burst of busy work, rushing to the train station, saying goodbye to everyone, until the train pulled out of the platform.Finally, the original crew — Peeta and I, Effie and Haymitch, Cinna and Peeta's designer Portia — eat in the car.The dinner was delicious, but I can't remember exactly what I had.Then I changed into pajamas and a baggy nightgown, and sat in a gorgeous private room, waiting for everyone to go to sleep.I know Haymitch wakes up after hours, he doesn't like to sleep after it's completely dark. When the car gradually became quiet, I put on my slippers and tiptoed to Haymitch's door. I knocked several times before he opened the door, frowning, as if he was sure I had brought bad news. "What do you want?" he said, and the smell of alcohol in his mouth almost made me stumble. "I need to talk to you," I whispered. "Now?" he said.I nod. "Better say something nice." He waits for me to speak, but I'm sure every word we say will be recorded on this Capitol train. "What is it?" he yelled. At this moment, the speed of the car slowed down, and for a moment, I felt that President Snow seemed to be watching us. He didn't approve of me telling the truth to Haymitch, so he decided to kill me first.Well, the train stopped just to refuel. "It's too stuffy in the car," I said. It was innocuous, but I saw Haymitch narrow his eyes, and he seemed to understand something. "I know what you need." He got up and walked past me, staggered to the door, opened the door forcefully, a gust of cold wind blew in with snowflakes, and he fell on the snow. A Capitol attendant came to help, but Haymitch waved her away amiably as he staggered to his feet. "Just a little fresh air, just for a moment." "Sorry, he's drunk." I said sorry, "Let me do it." I jumped out of the car and helped him walk along the track, snow wet my slippers, and he led me Go to the end of the train so no one can hear us.Then he turned and looked at me. "What's the matter?" he asked. I told him everything, the president's visit, Gale's business, and the fact that we were going to be killed if we didn't do well. His expression was serious, and he looked very old under the light of the taillights of the train. "Then you must do well." "This trip, if you can help me," I said. "No, Katniss, not just this trip," he said. "What do you mean?" I said. "Even if you make it through this time, they will let us play again in a few months, you and Peeta, you will be the instructors, and it will be like this every year from now on, every year they will revisit your romance, will Play your private lives and the only thing you can do is live happily ever after with that kid." His words made me suddenly wake up.I will never be able to live with Gail, never be allowed to live alone, I must always love Peeta.The Capitol will insist on doing so.Since I'm only sixteen now, I might have a few more years to live with Mom and Prim, and then... and then... "Do you understand what I mean?" he asked, taking a step closer. I nod.What he meant was that I only had one future, and that if I wanted the people I loved and myself to live, I had to marry Peeta.