Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Adventures in District Eleven

We walked back to the carriage in silence and with difficulty.When I got to my door, Haymitch patted me on the shoulder and said, "You could have done worse, you know," and walked up to his box, taking the smell of alcohol with him. Back in the box, I took off my slippers, nightgown and pajamas, which were already damp and cold.There was still pajamas in the closet, but I got under the covers in my underwear.I stared at the dark box, thinking over what Haymitch had said.Everything he said about the Capitol's expectations of us, about Peeta and I's future, even his last sentence was spot on.Of course, I'm nowhere near as good as Peeta is.But that's not the crux of the matter, is it?In District 12, who to marry or not to marry was a personal freedom, and now, for me, even that was taken away.I wonder if President Snow will insist that we have children.If we have children, we face the danger of drawing lots every year.And isn't it sensational to watch two kids from a district compete instead of one winner?There have also been winners' children in the past.The matter aroused widespread interest, and there was talk of how disadvantaged the family was;Gale had always been convinced that the Capitol did it on purpose, setting up a draw to add drama to the match.Since I got into a lot of trouble, my kids would definitely be in the spotlight if they competed.

I thought of Haymitch, who was never married, had no children, and was drunk all the time.He could have chosen any woman in District 12, but he chose to be alone.Not alone, which sounds so peaceful, but lonely.Was it because after everything he'd been through in the arena, he knew it was better than another adventure?I had thought of that at the Harvest ceremony when Prim's name was drawn and I watched her walk to the front (stage) and die.As her older sister, I took her place, but it was a terrible thing for Mom whoever went. My mind was spinning rapidly, thinking about how to deal with this complicated situation.I cannot let President Snow put me in this situation, even if it means risking my life.I'm going to try to escape before it's possible.What if I simply disappeared?Flee into the woods, never to appear again?Can I escape with my loved ones and start a new life in the depths of the jungle?The odds are slim, but not impossible.

I shook my head, denying the thought.Now is not the time to make a crazy escape plan.I have to focus on this victory tour.My performance this time will hold the fate of many people. It was dawn and I was up all night when Effie knocked on the door.I hastily pulled out a piece of clothing from the closet, put it on, and hurried to the dining car.Everything is as usual, I spent the whole day on the road today, it turned out that yesterday I put on makeup just to show up at the train station.My makeup artist is going to do my makeup today. "Why? It's so cold today, I can't see anything." I muttered.

"Not in District 11," Effie said. District eleven.This is our first stop, I would rather stop in any other district first, because this is Lulu's home.But usually, the victory tour should start from the twelfth district, in sequence, until the first district, and then reach the Capitol, and the final celebration should be held in the victor's district.But since the celebrations in the 12th district are not very enthusiastic-generally a banquet is held for the victors, and a rally is held in the square, and the participants seem to be uninterested, so it is best for the Capitol to let us leave now.So for the first time since Haymitch's victory, District 12 was scheduled to be the last stop of the tour, and the final celebration was held in the Capitol instead.

I try to eat my own breakfast, as Hazel said.The chef was clearly trying to please me, and they prepared my favorite lamb stew with prunes, along with orange juice, steaming hot chocolate, and more.I ate a lot, and the taste of the food was justifiable, but I didn't enjoy it.And it was just me and Effie eating, which really annoyed me. "What about the others?" I asked. "Oh, God knows where Haymitch is?" Effie said.To be honest, I didn't expect to see Haymitch either, I'm afraid he just went to bed. "Cinna's been busy with your outfits, been up late, he must have hundreds of outfits for you. Your evening gowns are amazing. Peeta's team is probably still asleep too."

"Doesn't he need to prepare?" I asked. "Not as complicated as yours," Effie replied. What does it mean?Which means I spend the morning shaving while Peeta sleeps.I didn't think much about it before, but in the arena, at least the boys can keep their hair, but the girls can't.I remembered that Peeta had hairs from the time I washed him by the creek.After washing off the mud and blood on his body, golden hair was revealed.Only the face is smooth.None of the boys had beards either, but they had come of age.I wonder how they pack up the male contestants. If I'm tired, my make-up artists seem to be even worse, keeping up with copious amounts of coffee and brightly colored pills.As far as I know, unless there is a national event like my growing leg hair, they sleep soundly until noon.I'm happy whenever my body hair grows back, as if that's the sign everything is back to normal.When I can feel the soft, curly hair on my legs, I give myself to them.If they happen to be less rowdy than usual, I can hear my own hairs plucking out of their follicles.Usually I need to soak in a bathtub full of weird smelling liquid, wash my hair and face.After that, I will take two more baths, and the smell of the bath liquid is not as pungent as the previous one.Then they shaved me again, rinsed, massaged, oiled, and finally left me tingling all over.

Flavik lifted my chin and sighed, "It's a pity Cinna won't let us change your image." "Yeah, we could have made you different," Octavia said. "When she is older, he will let us do it." Venia said in an almost cold tone. What, make my lips as thick as President Snow?Get a tattoo on my chest?Dye the skin magenta?Engraving decorative patterns on the face?Give me curly false nails?Or cat whiskers?I've seen all this with the Capitol before, do they really not know how weird they look to us? I'm disturbed at the thought of handing myself over to these fashion lunatics, knowing that my body abused, sleep deprived, married without freedom, and fear of falling short of President Snow's demands is enough for me up.When I got to the dining room at lunchtime, Effie, Cena, Portia, Haymitch, and Peeta were eating before I could, and I was too heavy to talk.They gossip about the food, how well they slept in the car, how excited they are about the trip, etc.Yeah, everyone's saying it, except Haymitch.He's not feeling well from a hangover, and he's picking up a muffin and eating it.I'm not too hungry either, maybe I ate too much this morning, maybe I'm in a bad mood.I lazily sip a bowl of broth, taking only a sip or two.I can't even look at Peeta - my chosen fiancé - even though I know it's not his fault.

Everyone saw that I was unhappy, and tried to drag me into their conversation, but I didn't bother to talk to them.At one point, the train stopped.The flight attendant reported that the train not only had to be refueled, but that the engine was out of order and needed to be replaced, which would take at least an hour.This made Effie panic, and she quickly took out her itinerary, thinking about how much this delay would affect our lives for the rest of our lives.Finally, I couldn't stand her nagging anymore. "Nobody cares, Effie!" I cut her off sharply.Everyone at the table was staring at me, including Haymitch.He should have been on my side because Effie used to drive him crazy too.Immediately I was on the defensive. "Yeah, no one cares!" I said, standing up and leaving the table.

The train seemed to be suddenly very stuffy. I was so emotional that I came to the exit, opened the door forcefully, and did not notice even though I triggered the alarm system.I jumped onto the ground outside the door, expecting to see snow, but the air outside was warm and soft, and the leaves were green.How far south did we travel in a single day?I walk along the tracks, squinting in the bright sunlight.I regretted losing my temper with Effie, she was not to blame for my situation, I should have gone back and apologized to her, it was rude to lose my temper like this, and she values ​​manners very much.But my footsteps did not stop, and I continued to walk along the track to the end of the train, leaving the carriage behind.To stay for an hour, I can walk in one direction for twenty minutes and then turn back, more than enough time.But I didn't go any further, and after two hundred yards I stopped, sat on the ground, and looked into the distance.If I had a bow and arrow, would I continue walking?

After a while, I heard footsteps behind me.It must be Haymitch who came to talk to me.It's not that I shouldn't hear it, it's that I don't want to hear it. "I don't want to hear your tirade," I said, keeping my eyes on a bunch of weeds at my feet. "I'll keep it short." Peeta sits down next to me. "I thought you were Haymitch," I said. "No, he's still eating that muffin," Peeta said, adjusting his prosthetic. "Had a bad day, huh?" "Nothing." I said. He took a deep breath and said, "Oh, Katniss, I've been meaning to talk to you about that last time on the train, I mean last time, when we got home. I know you and Guy I'm not in a normal relationship with you, I was jealous of you before I met you officially, it's not fair to you to drag you into those things during the game. I'm sorry."

What he said surprised me, and yes, after the Hunger Games, when I admitted to Peeta that my feelings for him were just a play, he snubbed me.But I don't blame him.In the arena, I have to play the romantic part because it's worth it.It was true that there were times when I didn't know exactly how I felt about him, and I still don't know much about it now, that's true. "I'm sorry, too," I said.I can't say why, maybe because I did think about killing him. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You're just here to keep us all alive. But I don't want everyone to just go on like this. Ignoring each other in real life, falling in a snowdrift as soon as there's a camera. So I thought, what if I now In a different state, say injured, then we can just be friends," he said. Maybe my friends will all die eventually, but denying Peeta won't make him safe either. "Okay." I said.It made me feel better that he said that, and at least lessened the element of deceit.It would have been better if he had told me that earlier, before I learned of President Snow's plans, before I thought we might still be friends.But, anyway, I'm glad we can talk again. "What happened?" he asked. I can't tell him that I pulled the weeds with my hands. “Let’s start with the basics. Don’t you find it weird that you risked your life to save mine and I don’t even know what your favorite color is?” he said. A smile appeared on my face, "Green, how about you?" "Orange," he said. "Orange, like Effie's hair?" I said. "A little softer," he said, "like... the color of a sunset." sunset.Immediately, the setting sun appeared in front of my eyes. The sun that was about to set was surrounded by a soft orange halo, and streaks of colorful clouds were reflected in the sky.So beautiful.I thought again of the marzipan-garnished cookie.Now that Peeta's talking to me again, should I tell him about President Snow?But I figured Haymitch wouldn't want me to.Better to say something that doesn't matter. "You know, everyone keeps talking about your paintings, I've never seen your paintings, it's too bad." "Hey, I have a car full of paintings," he held out his hand to me. "Come on, go and see." Our fingers are crossed again, not for show but for friendship, and it feels so good.We walked back to the train hand in hand.When I got to the door, I suddenly remembered, "I have to apologize to Effie first." "Don't be afraid to admit your mistakes," Peeta told me. When we got back to the dining car, everyone was still eating.I apologized to Effie, which in my opinion was humble enough, but in Effie's eyes, I was only making amends for my rudeness.Effie accepted my apology graciously."Obviously I'm stressed out, but someone has to keep an eye on the timetable," she said, which she said in five minutes.Yeah, I get angry too easily. After Effie finished speaking, Peeta took me through a few cars to see his paintings.I can't imagine what he would draw, maybe a large dessert decorated with flowers, but after looking at his paintings, I know that it is a completely different subject matter, he is painting The Hunger Games.Without experiencing all this with him, it is impossible to understand his paintings immediately.Water dripped from cracks in the roof of the cave, the dry pond, and a pair of hands, his own, were digging up grass roots.Other offscreen people can read, the golden Horn of Zeus, Graf is arranging the knife on the inside of her jacket, a pack of wild dogs, including a golden retriever and green-eyed wild dog - apparently Glimmer, is rushing towards us Bared his teeth and roared.And I, appear in many paintings.Beating shirts on trees and stones by streams, unconscious and lying in pools of blood.There's another, I don't know where, it's like an image of me in Peeta's fever—eyes in a silver haze, my eyes. "How do you feel?" he asked. "I don't like it," I said.I can almost smell the paintings' earthy, bloody, foul breath of wild dogs. "I've been trying to forget about the arena, but you brought it back to real life. How do you remember these things so well?" "I see it every night," he said. I know what he means.It was a nightmare - I used to have nightmares before the races, and now it's with me whenever I close my eyes.The original nightmare—the nightmare of Dad being killed by the bomb—has gradually faded away, but the scene in the arena often appears in the dream.My inability to save Lulu, Peeta bleeding to death, Grimmer's bloated body crumbling to pieces in my hands, and Cato dying horribly under attack by wild dogs are the scenarios I dream about most often. "I have nightmares too, does that help? Draw them?" "I don't know, I feel less scared to sleep, or so I tell myself. But those memories don't go away." "Maybe they won't go away, not Haymitch's." Haymitch didn't say that, but I'm sure that's why he doesn't want to sleep in the dark. "For me, I'd rather draw them with a paintbrush while awake than with a knife while asleep. You really don't like these drawings?" he said. "Yes, but these paintings are special, really," I said.These paintings are indeed different, but I don't want to look at them any more. "Want to see my talent show? Cinna did a great job." Peeta laughed, "later." The train started slowly, and I could see the earth speeding behind us from the window. "Hurry up, we're almost at District 11, let's go and have a look." We came to the last car, where there are chairs and sofas. The best thing is that the windows have been retracted to the top of the car. Just like the outdoors, you can breathe fresh air here and have a wider view.Herds of cows are grazing leisurely on the large fields, which is completely different from the densely forested hometown.The train slowed down, and I thought we had reached the station, but as the train moved, a fence that was thirty-five feet high and topped with coils of barbed wire appeared in front of us. The isolation net in the district is simply pediatrics.I glanced at the bottom of the isolation net, which is surrounded by huge iron sheets, it is impossible to drill through it, and it is impossible to go over to hunt.Then I saw the watchtowers lined up evenly along the fence, with armed policemen on them, how incongruous they were with the flower-covered fields. "It's very different here than we are," Peeta said. Lulu's words gave me the impression that the rule of the eleventh district is indeed stricter, but I never imagined that it will be to this extent. A wheat field appeared ahead, stretching as far as the eye could see.Harvesting men, women, and children, wearing straw hats to shield them from the scorching sun, straightened up and looked our way as the train passed, taking a respite.I saw the orchard in the distance, and I wondered if that was where Lulu had labored, picking fruit from the tops of the thinnest branches.Pieces of huts are scattered here and there - the "seam" houses are far superior.But there was no one in the hut, and all the people went to harvest the grain. The train keeps going, it's unbelievable that District 11 is so big. "How many people do you think live here?" Peeta asks.I shake my head.At school, the teacher only said it was a big area, that's all, and didn't mention the exact number of the population.But the children waiting for the lottery at the Harvest Festival ceremony we see on TV, they can't be just representatives.What did the authorities do?Let them draw lots in advance, and then put the people who are drawn in the crowd, as long as they are present when the lottery is finally drawn?How was Lulu drawn?Why is no one willing to replace her? I'm tired of seeing this big, endless wilderness.At this point Effie told us to get dressed, and I didn't object.I came to my compartment and let the makeup artist play with my hair and makeup.Cinna walks in with an autumn leaf patterned top, and I wonder how Peeta likes the color. Effie called Peeta and me together for one last look at our itinerary.In some districts, the victors passed through the city, and the residents lined the streets to welcome them.But in the Eleventh District, all the people gathered in the square to welcome the winners. This may be because there is no decent city center here, and the residential areas are scattered everywhere. Perhaps it is because they do not want to waste a lot of manpower during the harvest season.The welcome event took place right in front of their courthouse, a marble building that may have once had its splendor, but the erosion of the years has made it lose its luster, even though it can be seen crawling on the TV screen. The walls of the ivy building were about to collapse, and the ceiling was sagging.There are some dilapidated small door faces lined up around the square, most of which are no longer operated by anyone.It's not known where the wealthy people in District 11 live, but it's certainly not here. The entire celebration will take place on the front porch between the gate and steps of the courthouse, what Effie calls a "balcony," the equivalent of the outdoors, with a floor of smooth tiles and a head made of marble. Roof supported by columns.At the beginning of the event, Peeta and I were introduced first, and then the mayor of District 11 gave a welcome speech, and we expressed our thanks according to the script prepared by Capitol.If any of the victors have allied themselves with a District 11 player, it would be nice to have a personal statement.I should say something about Lulu and Saresh.It turned out that when I was at home, I wanted to write down my feelings, but in the end I was always staring at a blank piece of paper, not knowing how to write.Every time I write about them, I can't help being sad and mournful.Luckily, Peeta prepared the speech, which, with a few tweaks, represented both of us.At the end of the ceremony, we were presented with a commemorative disk, followed by a special welcome dinner for our group in the courthouse. As the train pulled into the 11th arrondissement station, Cinna gave me a final look, changing the orange headband to gold and pinning the brooch I wore in the arena.There were no welcoming officials on the platform, only a small detachment of eight security guards ushered us into an armored truck.When the car door slammed shut behind us, Effie snorted and said, "Really, people thought we were criminals." Not us, Effie, just me.I wonder. The truck pulled up behind the courthouse, we got out, and were again signaled to get inside the building quickly.A banquet is being prepared here, and it can smell fragrant, but it still can't cover up an unpleasant musty smell.They didn't give us time to look around, but went straight to the front door, already hearing the national anthem playing in the square.Someone pinned a microphone to my shirt, and Peeta took my left hand.As the heavy door creaked open, we heard the mayor introducing me and Peeta. "Have a good laugh!" Effie said to me, poking me.We start to move forward. The time has come to convince everyone how much I love Peeta.I wonder.The time for this solemn welcome was so tight that I was at a loss as to what to do.This is not the time to kiss, but a simple kiss is fine. The audience applauds enthusiastically, but not with cheers, whistles or admiration like the Capitol.We walked across the "balcony" and up to the top of the marble steps ahead, the sun beating down on us.My eyes adjusted to the sunlight, and I saw that the buildings on the square were covered with colorful flags, but it couldn't hide its dilapidation.The square was crowded with people, but only some of the residents came. As is customary, there is a special platform under the steps for the family members of the death "tribute", on the platform of the Sareish family, there is only a hunchbacked old woman and a tall and strong woman, I guess that is him sister.On the platform of Lulu's house—I wasn't mentally ready to meet her family yet—were her parents, their faces still full of sadness.There were also her five siblings, who looked a lot like Lulu, with short stature and bright brown eyes, like a flock of black birds. The applause gradually subsided, and the mayor gave a welcome speech.Two little girls came forward with big bouquets.According to the script prepared in advance, Peeta gave a thank-you speech first, and then I gave a thank-you speech.Fortunately, my mother and Prim helped me practice, and now I can recite the manuscript in my dream. Peeta's own speech was on the card, but instead of taking it out, he told in plain language how Sareish and Lulu made the top eight, how they helped me keep me alive, and how they helped me survive. He survived, and we will always repay this kindness and so on.After finishing the words on the card, he hesitated for a moment, maybe he thought Effie didn't want him to say the following words. "I can't make up for this loss, but as a token of our gratitude, we would like the family of each 'tribute' in District Eleven to receive one month of our winnings each year, thanking them for keeping our lives alive." There were murmurs of discussion in the crowd.There's no precedent for this before, and I don't even know if it's legal.He definitely didn't know, so just in case, he didn't dare to ask.As for the family members of the deceased, they just stared at us in amazement.When Saresh and Lulu passed away, their lives were changed forever, but this gift will change their lives again.The winner's one-month bonus is enough to support the family for a year.That way, they won't starve as long as we live. I look at Peeta, and he gives me a sad, sad smile.Haymitch's words echoed in my ears, you could probably make things worse.Right now, I can't imagine anything better than what I'm doing right now.Gifts...that's a great idea.I stand on tiptoe and kiss Peeta, not at all forced. The mayor came up and presented us with a large commemorative porcelain plate, so big that I had to put down the bouquet.The festivities were drawing to a close when I noticed one of Lulu's sisters still staring at me.She was about nine years old, and she looked a lot like Lulu, even standing there with her arms up.Although it was good news for them to get the gift, she was not at all happy.In fact, there was reproach in her eyes.Is it because I failed to rescue Lulu? No, it's because I haven't thanked her yet.I pondered. I felt a pang of shame.The girl was right.How could I stand here, passive and silent, and entrust everything to Peeta?If Lulu wins, she won't let me die quietly and in vain.I remember how seriously I put flowers on her body in the arena, I couldn't let her die quietly.However, if I say nothing at this time, there is no point in doing so. "Wait a minute!" I hugged the porcelain plate tightly and hurriedly took a step forward.My speaking time is over, but I must say something.I owe them so much, and even with all the prizes given to this family, my silence today is inexcusable. "Please wait a moment." I didn't know where to start, but when I opened my mouth, the words deep in my heart came out naturally, as if those words had been in my heart for a long time. I stared at the Salish family: "I want to express my gratitude to the 'tribute' in the eleventh district. I only said one word to Salish, but because of this sentence, he let me live. Although I didn't Know him but I've always respected him because he's powerful, he refuses to ally with others, he survives only on his own. Those 'professional tributes' started trying to get him in, but he refused. I'm here for it Respect him," I said. The hunchbacked old woman—was it Tharish's grandma? ——He raised his head for the first time, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. The crowd fell into a hush, so hush that I wondered if they were all holding their breath. I turned to Lulu's family again: "I feel like I've known Lulu for a long time, and she will always be with me. Whenever I see something beautiful, I think of her. Open on the 'Ranch' near my house The yellow flowers, there she is; the mockingjays singing in the bushes, there she is; and most of all, I see her in my sister, Prim." My The voice trembled, but I was about to finish. "Thank you for raising such a good child." I raised my head to the crowd, "Thank you for giving me bread." I stood there feeling so small and weak, with thousands of eyes staring at me.After a long silence, out of nowhere, came Lulu's imitation of the mockingbird's four-note call, which was also the call-off whistle at the end of the day in the orchard, and in the arena it was a sign that all was well. thing.Following the whistle, I found the whistler. He was a thin old man in a worn red shirt and overalls. Our eyes met. What happened next was even more unexpected. Everyone spontaneously raised the middle three fingers of their left hands, put them on their lips, and then extended them to me.It's the District 12 sign, the one I used when I said goodbye to Lulu in the arena. If I hadn't spoken to President Snow, this move would have brought me to tears.But President Snow's order to stabilize the order in the districts is still in my ears, but my heart is full of pain.What would he think of the public tribute to the girl who had defied the Capitol? Thinking of the possible consequences of my actions, I couldn't help being surprised. I didn't do it on purpose, but I just wanted to express my gratitude, but I caused a dangerous move—the dissatisfaction of the people in District 11 against the Capitol. ; and this is exactly what I should avoid! I tried to say something to turn things around, but I heard static and my microphone had been cut and replaced with the mayor's voice.Peeta and I thanked everyone for the final round of applause, and he dragged me to the door, not realizing something was wrong. I felt a little uncomfortable, so I couldn't help but stop, and the dazzling sunlight jumped in front of my eyes. "Are you okay?" Peeta asked. "Just a little dizzy, the sun is too strong." I said, and I saw the bouquet in his hand. "I forgot to take the flowers." I whispered. "I'll get it," he said. "I can do it." I replied. If I hadn't stopped, if I hadn't forgotten the bouquet, we would be safely back in the hall by this time.But the moment I went back, I saw everything that happened under the steps. Two security guards dragged the old whistle blower to the steps, forced him to kneel in front of the crowd, and shot him through the head.