Chapter 6 Chapter Six: The Riot in the Eighth District

His imperceptible little movement made me feel hopeless, the destruction had begun, and it was about to destroy everything I loved in this world.I can't guess what punishment I'll be getting, how great his net will be, but when it's over, it's likely all will be gone.I should have been feeling desperate at this point, but instead I felt strangely relieved.I can finally get out of this game.The question of my victories in this venture was finally answered, whether or not the answer meant my total failure.If suppressing violence with violence is a life-saving straw that people can grasp in times of despair, then I can fight to the death to defend my rights without any worries.

It's just that the time is not yet ripe, and the place is not here.I'll need to get back to District 12 first, because my plan has to take Mom, Prim, Gale and his family, and Peeta into account.If I can convince Haymitch to join me, I'll count him in.These are the people I must take with me as I flee into the wild.How I persuaded them to flee in the depths of winter to escape endless pursuit is an unanswered question.But at least I now know what to do next. Instead of falling down and begging for mercy, I am more determined and confident than I have been in the past few weeks.Although my smile is a little crazy at this time, it is not forced.President Snow silenced the audience, and then said: "You see, how about letting them get married in the Capitol?"So Caesar Flickman asked President Snow if he had chosen a date.

"Oh, better let Katniss' mom know before we set a date," the president said.There was a burst of laughter from the audience.The president put his arm around me. "If the people of the whole country work together, we will try to let you get married before the age of thirty." "So you have to pass a new law?" I giggled. "If it is really necessary to do this, I think it can be done." The president said kindly. Oh, look, what a happy conversation we both had. Then a grand banquet was held at the presidential palace.The forty-foot ceiling was azure, and the stars above it shone like they did back home.I guess the stars are just as bright on the Capitol, but who cares?Cities are always too bright to see the stars.Between the floor and the ceiling, the musicians floated on white clouds, and I couldn't see what was holding them up in midair.The traditional dining table is replaced by countless soft sofas and chairs, some around the fireplace, some in the fragrant garden, and some by the pond where the fish swim leisurely, so that people can enjoy the Extremely comfortable environment to eat, drink or do anything else.In the middle of the room is a wide tiled hall, which is not only a dance floor, but also a stage for actors, and even richly dressed dignitaries pass through it.

But the real star of the night was the delicious food served.The dining table standing against the wall is full of delicacies that have never been imagined in dreams-roasted whole cow, roasted whole lamb, roasted whole pig, large plates of chicken stuffed with fruits and nuts, seafood with sauces, various cheeses, Bread, vegetables, desserts, as well as a variety of wines, arouse the enthusiasm of the guests. I have made up my mind to rebel against the Capitol, so my appetite has increased.I haven't eaten properly for weeks due to anxiety, so I'm starving right now. "I want to eat everything in this house," I tell Peeta.

He looked at me puzzled, surprised by the change in me.Since he didn't know that President Snow thought we had lost, he could only guess that we had won, and he might even guess that I had a little liking for the event.A twinkle of doubt flashed in his eye, but it passed quickly as we were in front of the cameras. "Then you have to take your time," he said. "Okay, just one bite of each dish," I said.But my resolve crumbled almost immediately when I arrived at the first table of two dozen soups, a creamy pumpkin soup strewn with long nuts and small black sesame seeds. "That's enough to last me all night!" I yelled.But I didn't stay there all night.I saw a clear green broth that I can only describe as having a taste of spring, followed by a frothy pink soup filled with diced strawberries.

People come and go, shoulder to shoulder, introducing each other, taking pictures, and kissing.Apparently, my brooches were the new fad, and a few people came up to show me their accessories.My mockingjay look has appeared on belt buckles, embroidered silk collars, and someone even got a tattoo.Everyone is emulating the victor's mascot, and all I can think of is how annoyed President Snow will be about all of this.But what about him?The Hunger Games is a hit here, and the berry incident is nothing more than a girl's crazy move to save her lover. Peeta and I didn't try to strike up a conversation, but we were always recognized.We became the unmissable target at the banquet.I acted warm and generous, but I was not really interested in those Capitols, they just distracted me from the food.

Every table has a tantalizing variety of food that needs to be savored quickly, even if it's just one bite of each.I picked up a roasted pigeon, took a bite, and my tongue was instantly filled with orange sauce.tasty.I pass the rest to Peeta because I want to move on to other foods.Throwing food away like so many people do is unacceptable to me, it's outrageous.After about ten tables, my stomach was full and we had only tasted a little of the rest of the food. That's when my makeup artists appeared, baffled by alcohol and the ecstasy of such a grand occasion. "Why don't you eat?" asked Octavia.

"I've already eaten and I can't keep a mouthful," I said.They laughed like it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. "Nobody's going to worry about that!" Flavio said.They led us to a table where there were tiny goblets filled with clear liquid. "Drink this!" Peeta picks up a glass and takes a sip, and they laugh again. "Can't drink here!" Octavia shrieked. "You have to drink there." Vinia said, pointing to the door leading to the bathroom, "otherwise you will make a mess!" Peeta looked at the glass again, and finally realized, "You mean this thing will make me puke?"

My makeup artists laughed even more hysterically. "Of course, so you can eat all the time," Octavia said. "I've been there twice. Everyone is like this, otherwise how can you have fun at the banquet?" I was speechless for a while, looking at those beautiful small wine glasses, thinking about the consequences of drinking the liquid inside.Peeta immediately distances himself from the table, as if the thing was about to explode. "Come on, Katniss, let's dance!" He pulled me away from the makeup artist, and the music floated slowly from the clouds in the air.We only know a few dances from home to the beat of the violin and flute, and these dances require a lot of space.But Effie also taught us some popular Capitol dance moves.The music is dreamy and soothing, and Peeta pulls me into his arms, and we spin slowly in circles, a dance that has so few steps that it could fit on a plate of apple pie.We dance in silence for a while, and then Peeta says in a tense voice, "We spend every day with them and think they're okay, maybe not that bad, but it turns out—" He stops.

Another image came to mind: emaciated children lying on our kitchen table, mothers telling their parents how to treat their children - they needed more food, but their parents couldn't afford it .Now that we are rich, Mom will send them some food to take home.But in the past, we didn't have much to give them, and some children were already hopeless due to excessive hunger.But here, in the Capitol, they vomit again and again just for the pleasure of eating, not because they vomit because they are not feeling well, nor because they are afraid that the food will spoil and eat more, but because everyone is having a feast, and people are used to it , which is part of the feast.

I remember one time when I was delivering game to Hazel, Vic was at home sick with a bad cough.When he was chatting with me, he mentioned something related to corn syrup: He told me that they opened a can of corn syrup from the "gift bag festival", and everyone ate a full spoonful of it with bread, and they would have to eat it again next week. eat more.Being ill, Hazel said to put some syrup in his tea to ease his cough, but he wouldn't take it if no one else took it.Because he's a Gail kid, he eats better than ninety percent of the kids in District 12, but he talks about a can of corn syrup for fifteen minutes.If Gail's family is like this, what will happen to other families? "Peeta, what is this waste to them compared to the fact that they're willing to let us die just for fun?" I said. "I know, I know that. It's just that sometimes I really can't stand it. It's even...not sure what I'm going to do." He paused, and then whispered, "Katniss, maybe we always wanted to wrong." "What?" I asked. "Calming the rebellious sentiment in the districts," he said. I quickly glanced around with my peripheral vision, but luckily, no one seemed to hear me.The people in the photography team seemed to have been attracted by the seafood, and the people dancing around us were either drunk or self-indulgent, and didn't pay attention. "I'm sorry," he said.You are right, this is not the place to talk about such things. "Let's talk at home." I told him. At this moment Portia brought over a tall man who looked familiar.She introduced him as Plutarch Havensby, the new chairman of the Hunger Games organizing committee.Plutarch asked Peeta if he would allow him to take me away for a while, and Peeta resumed his camera face and gently handed me over to Plutarch, warning him not to get too obsessed with me. I don't want to dance with Plutarch Havensby, I don't like his hands touching me.One of his hands is now holding mine, and the other is around my waist.I'm not used to people touching me, other than Peeta and my family, plus I don't want the Xtreme organizers to touch my skin like I hate maggots.He seemed to feel this too, when we danced, we were eight feet away. We chatted, the dinner, the food, and he joked about how he'd been practicing dodging throws since the last training incident.I was stunned for a moment, and then I remembered that during the last training session, I shot an arrow at the organizer of the extreme race, and a person backed away in fright and knocked over the punch bowl. He was that person.Oh no, I shot the arrow at the apple in the pig's mouth, but I did startle them. "Oh, you're the one—" I laughed, remembering how he stepped back and knocked over the punch bowl and spilled the wine everywhere. "Yes, you must be glad to know that I never recovered from the shock?" said Plutarch. I wanted to say that the twenty-two dead "tributors" never woke up from the game he invented, but I just said, "Well, so you're the chairman of this year's Extreme Race Organizing Committee? It's a great honor Oh." "Not many people are willing to take over your job and my job. For the result of the game, I bear too much responsibility." He said. Yes, the previous chairman was executed.I wonder.He must have known about Seneca Kling, but he didn't look worried at all. "You're already preparing for the seventy-fifth competition?" I said. "Oh, yes. Oh, everyone has been working on this event for years, and the arena cannot be built in a day. But, it should be said, the tone of the game has been set, and by coincidence, we will have an event tonight Preparatory meeting." Plutarch took a step back, took out a pocket watch with a gold chain from his suit vest, opened the watch cover, looked at the time, and frowned slightly. "I have to go now." He turned the dial around so I could see the time. "The meeting starts at midnight." "Oh, it's so late—" I said, but my eyes were involuntarily drawn to his watch.Plutarch slid his thumb across the crystal dial, and an image appeared on it as if lit by a candle. This is a mockingbird, just like the one on my brooch, but when the dial cover is closed, the bird follows It disappeared quickly. "It's beautiful." I said. "Oh, it's really beautiful. It's just one of those watches," he said. "If anyone asks me, just say I'm home and sleeping. We should keep the meeting secret, but I want to tell you it should be fine." .” "Yes, I'll keep it a secret," I said. We shook hands and said goodbye, and he gave me a slight bow, which is common courtesy in the Capitol. "Well, I'll see you at the games next summer, Katniss. You're engaged, good luck to you, and hello to your mother." "Thank you." I said. Plutarch left after speaking.I was walking through the crowd, looking for Peeta, and strangers kept congratulating me on my engagement, on winning a competition, on choosing a beautiful lipstick, all while socializing, thinking of Prue Tash showed me his beautiful pocket watch.It's kind of weird, kind of mysterious.But why?Maybe he thinks someone will steal his design idea and put a disappearing mockingjay on the dial like him, yes, he must have paid a lot of money for this, but he is afraid that someone will make a cheap imitation for anyone to see.Only on the Capitol does this happen. I finally found Peeta, who was staring appreciatively at a table of exquisite cakes.The pastry chef came out of the kitchen to explain to him how to make the icing. They walked past one cake after another, and the pastry chef kept answering his questions.At his request, they brought many kinds of small cakes and asked him to take them back to District 12, where he could study how to make cakes quietly at home. "Effie said we had to be on the train at one o'clock. Wonder what time it is?" he said, looking around. "It's almost twelve o'clock." I replied.I took a chocolate flower off the cake and bit it in my mouth, with total disregard for etiquette. "Time to say goodbye and say thanks," Effie said in a trembling voice as she appeared beside me.Effie is always on time and that's what I love about her.We find Cena and Portia, and then Effie leads the farewell of the important people of the dinner, and then we all go to the gate together. "Shouldn't we thank President Snow? This is his home," Peeta asked. "Oh. He doesn't like going to dinner parties very much. He's too busy," Effie said. "I've arranged for someone to bring him a special present and a thank-you note tomorrow. Here they are!" Effie told the two Kay Waiter Pete waved slightly, and they were walking towards this side with the drunken Haymitch on their shoulders. A car drove us across the Capitol, its windows with deep black film.In another car behind me sat my makeup artists.The crowd was so dense that the car had to slow down.But Effie organized everything so well that we got on the train at exactly one o'clock and the train was slowly pulling out of the station. Haymitch was escorted to his box, Cinna ordered tea, and we sat around the table, Effie shaking the schedule in her hand to remind us that we were all still on the road. "Our itinerary seems to include Harvest Festival in District 12, so I suggest that everyone go to bed immediately after drinking tea." No one objected. When I opened my eyes, it was already afternoon.With my head on Peeta's shoulder, I don't remember him coming into my room yesterday.I rolled over, trying not to wake him up, but he was already awake. "No nightmares," he said. "What?" I asked. "You didn't have a nightmare last night," he said. He was right.This is the first full night's sleep I've had in a long time. "Well, I had a dream," I said, remembering, "I followed a mockingbird through the woods for a long, long time. That bird was Lulu, I mean, when the bird called, It was her voice that came out." "Where did she take you?" he said, brushing the hair back from my forehead. "I don't know, we haven't been anywhere, but I feel happy," I said. "Well, you look happy sleeping too," he said. "Peeta, how did I never know if you were having nightmares?" I said. "I can't tell, maybe I didn't yell or grab or something, I just didn't move, I was scared to death," he said. "You should wake me up," I said, thinking of the nightmares that would wake him up two or three times a night, and how long it would take me to calm down. "No, my nightmares are often the fear of losing you, and once I realize you're by my side, I'm fine," he said. Ugh, when Peeta said that when he was caught off guard, it was like punching me in the chest.He just answered the questions truthfully and didn't force a reaction or love vows from me, but I still felt bad as if I was using him badly.Am I taking advantage of him?I don't know, for the first time I felt a little immoral in letting him sleep next to me.And the irony is that now we are engaged. "When I got home I had to sleep alone, which was even worse," he said. The evening of our return to the 12th arrondissement we had a banquet at the mayor's mansion, and the next day we gathered in the square to celebrate the Harvest Festival.District 12 always hosts a Harvest Festival celebration on the final day of the Victory Tour, but when it's available, it's usually just a meal at home with friends.This year's Harvest Festival will feature public celebrations.The Capitol will distribute presents in large quantities, and everyone in District 12 will get a good meal. Most of our preparations will be done at the Mayor's Mansion, back in the frigid 12th District to prepare fur clothing for outdoor activities.We only stopped at the train station for a short time, smiling and waving to everyone when we entered the station, and then got into the car, and we didn't see our family until dinner time. I am glad that our event is not at the courthouse, but at the mayor's mansion.There are memories of my father in the courthouse, and I said goodbye to my family there before the Hunger Games, so there are so many painful memories there. I love Mayor Andersey's house, especially after I became good friends with his daughter March, in fact, we've remained some kind of friends until now.This was made even clearer when she came to say goodbye to me before the Hunger Games and gave me the Mockingjay brooch.We spend a lot of time together when we go back to our hometown after the game.It turns out that March also has a lot of free time.We were a little bit uncomfortable when we started together because neither of us knew what to do.Other girls our age talk about boys, about other girls, about clothes, but March and I don't like talking about other people, and clothes give me a headache.It took me a few ramblings to realize that she really wanted to go to the woods, so I took her there a few times and taught her how to shoot an arrow.She also taught me to play the piano, but most of the time I prefer to listen to her play.Sometimes we eat at each other's houses, March likes mine better, her parents are nice, but I don't think she spends much time with her own parents, her dad runs the district and mom has a Severe headache, often bedridden for several days. "Maybe you should take her to the Capitol to see a doctor," I suggested once when her mother was bedridden.We didn't play the piano that day, and even being two floors away would disturb her mother's rest and give her a headache. "I dare say the doctor will be able to cure her." "Yes, but you must have their invitation to go to the Capitol," said March gruffly.Even the mayor's powers are limited. When our group arrived at the mayor's mansion, I was short on time, so I simply hugged March, and Effie urged me to go up to the third floor to get ready.When I was in my silver floor-length dress and everything was ready, there was still an hour before dinner, so I slipped out to find her. March's room was on the second floor, where there were several guest rooms and her father's study.I poked my head into the mayor's study to greet him, but it was empty.The TV happened to be on, and it was playing a video of Peeta and I having dinner at the Capitol last night.We danced, ate, kissed, and the video was playing all over the country in Parnham, and everyone must have been sick and tired of this star couple from District 12.I know, I'm bored too. I was about to leave the study when a sudden beep caught my attention.I turned around and saw the TV screen go black and then the words "Latest News from District 8" appeared.I realized right away that this was the mayor's line, and I wasn't supposed to be looking, but to walk away, quickly.But instead, I walked up to the TV. An announcer I have never seen before appeared on the screen, she had gray hair, her voice was husky but authoritative, she warned that the situation was deteriorating, alert level 3 should be activated, the troops are currently reinforcing the eighth sector, all the textiles have been discontinued. Then the camera cuts to District 8 Square, I just went there last week, so I recognized it at a glance, there is still a banner with my face on the top of the building, the square downstairs is rioting, there are shouting crowds everywhere, people Throwing stones into the distance, their faces are hidden behind rags or homemade masks.Many buildings have caught fire. I've never seen anything like it before, but it proved one thing, that the riots that President Snow was talking about happened.