Dear Juniper, Gregory, Mary-Pine, Thomas and Vanessa,
I'm so sorry I can't be there for all of you as the foursome grow up. It's not fair to lose a father and mother, along with the oldest sister. And I know I will never come back to you, no matter what Aunt Viv and Uncle Oaken say.
But it's worth it.
Juniper, you know our parents died because of our family's values and rules, notwithstanding the crap they fed us about unbalanced loads and malfunctioning machines—what crap! Mother was in the sorting department of the paper factory and Father was in charge of fine work. And look how we've been taken in by our perfect district family—what a coincidence! We shall all become good, model citizens now! No! I want you all to fight it! But, not as the knights of old did, not as honorable people did, for the Capitol has no honor left. Fight in silence, isolate the kids from the Capitol's ideals, protect our values as did our grandparents before us.
Tell them, Juniper. They deserve to know our true story, not the Capitol's version.
Save the old books. Learn from them, all of you. Mary-Pine, help Vanessa into womanhood, as I did for you and as Mother did for me. Juniper, please be gentle with Thomas—he's not as strong as you are in body, but in mind, he is the greater, I think. Gregory, please try to forgive me. I am not betraying the family, though my actions may seem like they are.
For I now play the part of a loyal District citizen. And I will perish in the Bloodbath. Juniper, you and Mary-Pine know why. Please try to explain to Gregory, Thomas and Vanessa.
I'm sorry.
It was never meant to be this way.
But I couldn't let Vee go.
Mother told me that one day, one of us would go to the Games. She hoped and prayed it would never happen, but they both knew it was inevitable. Uncle Will drew too much attention to our family's name to let us escape unscathed. That's why Aunt Viv married Uncle Oaken. That's why you have no cousins. And that's why I must act a lie—to blot the memory of Uncle Will from the Capitol's mind. But they have a long memory.
Please, please never draw their attention back to us until Vanessa is past reaping age. I don't want anymore of the Limbers to die unless we have to.
I love you all so much. Even though I know you'll never read this, I hope somehow you will get my message.
In my heart, I know it is completely worth it. If our family can fade back into the greenery of District Seven once more, until the time is right, I won't have died in vain. Please try to understand.
I can't write anymore. The Games begin tomorrow. Please...remember me...as I was once. Not as you'll see me, in the end.
With deepest love to each and every one of you,
Your sister.