It was only natural that the district Katniss wanted to visit the very least was their first stop. The day before had been spent in prep on the train, since only her hands and face had been made over before ( Read more... )

Katniss didn't want to do this, but she knew it was necessary. So she made sure to distract herself with menial tasks -- making sure to pack a bag for Rue to take with her (however unnecessary that might seem), showing her the wonder of cupcakes (a new Katniss discovery) that morning -- she even took as long as possible to lace up her boots ( Read more... )

It wasn't unusual for Katniss to dream of the Games; it was nearly a nightly occurrence, in fact. So when she drifted off to sleep, curled up under her blanket, seeing the arena was practically familiar.

( They had picked a fork high in a tree and settled in just as the anthem began to play. There were no deaths that day. )

The woods always looked different at night. Even with the special night-vision glasses Katniss had managed to secure at the beginning of the Games, everything had 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.

( Katniss didn't try anything tricky, like taking a new route )