37. Sound
Reverberate
Different sounds evoke different sensations, memories, and feelings for many people in Panem.
For Casear Flickerman, the roars, cheers, and applause from the audience indicate he might've succeeded in helping a tribute gain a sponsor.
For Gale, it's the deafening explosion of firebombs pouring in District 12. His ears rang for several weeks afterwards.
For Peeta, he can still hear the heightened static followed by an amplified thunderclap when Katniss destroyed the arena. He hears that sound in his nightmares, and when he's hijacked, the crashing sounds of the arena collapsing inward make him think he's in the arena again—trapped with no escape.
For Beetee, it's the familiar hum and sizzle of electricity that killed the six tributes hunting for him. The crackling was especially loudest in his mind when he stood in those Districts that were home to those tributes he murdered when he went on his Victory Tour.
For Katniss and Finnick, hearing the Jabberjays' mimicking the yells and cries of their loved ones was absolute torture. They thought the hour would never end.
For Johanna, hearing Peeta's bloodcurding screams during their torture and imprisonment in the Capitol nearly pushed her over the edge. Sometimes she screamed over his voice so that she wouldn't be forced to hear him.
For Annie, it's the sickening thump of her district partner's head hitting the grass after he was beheaded. After that moment, whenever Annie puts her hands over her ears, it's to block out that horrendous sound that echoes in her mind over and over…
For all the surviving Victors…the boom of the cannon will forever be a reminder that they survived when others had died.