Part 3

As the door slides open I clearly see the two volunteers Berry, and Basil. Berry sits with her arms crossed, puffing loudly. I suspect she is cursing under her breath. I look over to Basil; I remember how last year I was in his position, young and in the Games. I don't know why he would ever volunteer.

Chaff goes over to his tribute and starts to ask him about his life. I mirror him, but with my tribute. I sit down across from her: "Why did you volunteer?" I ask

She looks up, "Because I was tired of the whole district crying over who would volunteer." She says.

I don't dare to talk to her anymore, she looks angry and I don't want to irritate her more. I look over to Chaff and Basil and they seem to be chatting it up near the bar. I decide to stop trying to crack the nut that is Berry and try to figure out what Basil is all about.

"So you know Haymitch Abernathy!" Basil exclaims loudly.

Chaff laughs, "Yeah I do, one of my good friends!"

"That's amazing! He's my favorite victor!" he remembers that he may have offended both Chaff and I, "Uh, I mean one of, you guys are my favorite."

I laugh, "It's ok. I'm not much of a victor anyway."

Chaff and Basil stop and turn very serious, "You're as much as a victor as me, Haymitch, Annie, Finnick, and every other tribute that has won." Chaff says.

I've never seen Chaff like this, last year he was pretty much wasted all of the time. But he kept Thresh alive up to those scary muttations. I remember seeing his, huge to say the least, it had to be twice my size, luckily I was hiding in a tree when they came. Cato tried to climb my tree, but with his heavy armor he couldn't do it. So that's when I shot him with my slingshot. I shiver at the thought of his face, pure terror, but happy to no longer have to try.

I shake myself from the past to find that dinner has been served. There is a delicious salad served first with chicken strips and berries picked this morning in District 11. I almost fill up on the salad but I have become accustomed to the many foods served in a typical meal. Next comes the stuffed chicken with fresh vegetables and spices. For dessert we have a dessert custom to District 11, a Mockingjay Cake.

Even though many people think of that pin that Katniss wore in the arena, but they are most famous here in District 11, I remember my days of working in the orchards when I sang a short song to signal the days end.

Avoxs come over and cut the cake. Inside I see the berries that claim the yellow cake's name: blueberries and scattered black berries. There's an old wives tale that a baker made a cake with these berries and a flock of mockingjays flew over and ate it, the sweet juice in the berries made the birds sing, thus giving them their beautiful voices. I used to believe that, until I was forced to grow up in the Games. The Games change you, whether you're a Career, or a small girl from eleven like me. As I look into the eyes of these tributes, I wonder what will change in them. Whether they will live or whether they will die.

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