Glenn

Lori Grimes is dead, leaving behind her newborn daughter Judith.

After an uneventful pregnancy, she suddenly needed a Caesarian section and Hershel was at the other end of the district tending to a horse that ran into the electrified fence. His daughter Maggie was with Lori and ended up cutting the baby out of her in the most brutal way. Carl had to help.

The baby is fine. Hershel's younger daughter Beth is taking care of her. Carol is busy in the bakery but gives advice and helps when she can. Rick is falling apart right now but no one blames him. He wanders around talking to someone only he sees. Surprisingly, Carl is holding the household together despite having witnessed his mother's bloody death.

I feel like I'm reporting news about strangers instead of people I care about. Maybe the effects of so much loss over a lifetime have numbed me to tragedy. At least all this keeps me from thinking too much about the approaching games.

Daryl

Merle was alive and well when the games rolled around. Daryl hoped Snow had some other crisis in the Capitol and that he wasn't just biding his time.

The reapings after Glenn's victory were bitter.

The first year a sister and brother were chosen. They were Jim Deakins' only children. There weren't many machines in the district because human labor was plentiful but the few in use were kept in working order by Jim. His wife collapsed in his arms when their daughter's name was read. She fainted when their son's name was called. She lived long enough to see her children brought home and buried and then faded day by day until she was laid to rest beside them. Jim tried to go on but there was nothing left for him. A few weeks later he stepped on a rusty nail, died of tetanus and joined his family.

"It's not right that a family should lose more than one," Glenn said. "If one gets picked, the others should be safe."

"There's no cause for the ages to be so wide either," Daryl replied. "Except that they want younger, smaller, weaker kids to be fodder for the others. Hell, they could pick one year in the middle and have all tributes be 15. But everybody'd be more evenly matched and have a better chance and they don't want that. And they want kids to live in fear until they're 19."

"It makes me sick that we're trying to think of ways to make the games more tolerable," Glenn said. "As if they should be taking place at all."

The second year Edwin Jenner and Jacqui, both 17, died together in an explosion the day after entering the arena.

The third year 12 year old Sophia Peletier never made it off her platform. Frozen with terror, she was an easy target for a nearby tribute. Fourteen year old Randall was the male tribute that year and he made it to the final eight before a Career broke his neck. Randall's parents were dead but Sophia's mother Carol grieved for both of them.

The fourth year when Patricia was picked, her boyfriend Otis volunteered as the male tribute. They made an alliance with three others and survived two days but when they were chased by another group, one of the allies stabbed Otis in the leg, sacrificing him so the others could get away. Patricia moved on with them but the next day it was her turn to be bait.

The fifth year a girl named Donna was chosen along with Beth Greene's boyfriend Jimmy. He was ambushed on the second day and Donna was killed a day later. Beth was almost catatonic. She might have turned suicidal but little Judith was four years old and needed her.

Rick had recovered a few weeks after Lori's death but he was a changed man. Judith's biological parents are gone but she and Carl are all he has left of Lori and he considers them equally his children.

Glenn

Daryl and I have been together for six years. The reality of being a mentor hit me that first year. I can't imagine going through it alone for 16 years as Daryl did. I've learned to keep the games separate in my mind so I can enjoy the rest of our life together.

But life in the district is about to change again: We have a new Head Peacekeeper. We got one six years ago after Shane Walsh's death. He was tough but not unreasonable. Like Walsh was before he got obsessed with Lori Grimes. But he's been transferred and there's a new sheriff in town.

Daryl

As mayor, Rick met the train to greet the new Head Peacekeeper. Daryl and Glenn didn't see him until he addressed the district from the town square. He introduced himself as Philip Blake. He had an affable manner but his smile never reached his eyes and Daryl didn't trust him. But the people took to him. He was friendly, telling them there was no reason they couldn't all get along without unpleasantness.

"We don't use town names much anymore," Blake said. "It's easier to identify by district. But this town is Woodbury and I intend to make our town and district the safest and most productive place in Panem. A place we can all be proud of."

He sounded fair and amiable and it played well to the crowd, giving them hope that their situation might improve. The people had long been nothing more than slaves to the Capitol. Now it sounded like they really would be citizens guided by a governor instead of prisoners under a warden.

The men talked privately later. Daryl voiced his distrust but admitted he distrusted all PKs on principle. Rick was also skeptical. He thought this new 'governor' was too smooth and too good to be true. Even Glenn, who liked to give the benefit of the doubt to everybody, was uneasy.

Their judgment was soon confirmed. Almost immediately it became clear that in order to achieve safety and productivity, every law would be strictly enforced and the maximum penalty imposed for even the smallest infractions. Lashings were frequent and there were two executions in a month. There hadn't been an execution for two years.

Each time Blake addressed the crowd with his soft but carrying voice, saying the rules were in place for a reason and expressing disappointment that the people had failed him. He had hoped for better from them. He had given them a chance and they had abused his goodwill.

"It's worse than ever," Rick said. "It's all but impossible to live without breaking some law. Walsh and the others would let a few things slide, enough to keep morale up."

"Get rid of Blake," Glenn suggested. "You did it once, you can do it again."

"My money's on you," Daryl said.

They all laughed but they knew it wouldn't happen. 'The Governor' was careful and well-protected.

Even under tyranny life has a rhythm and District 11 found it. People got used to the absolute control wielded by the Head PK. Most of the laws were about workers and productivity so Daryl and Glenn weren't affected. They tried to do more, even met with Blake who shook his head and said the people hadn't earned any rewards. If Daryl and Glenn wanted to ask again in a year, he'd review the request then. They knew it would never be granted.

Glenn

The 74th Hunger Games change everything. We lose big, strong Thresh and small, sweet Rue but our neighboring District 12 wins. Both tributes are allowed to survive so Haymitch Abernathy finally has company in his Victors' Village. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark join him there. Katniss and Rue were allies during the games. Katniss risked herself to honor Rue's death and we repaid her by sending Rue's bread parachute. Thresh even spared her at the cornucopia.

The end of the games was the worst anyone has seen because of the muttations. The Capitol has used them before but always animals. This time they used the dead tributes. When Daryl saw, he said they'd gone too far.

"Guess I never knew what the line was," Daryl said. "But Snow and the Capitol and the Gamemakers just crossed it. All these years I been putting up and shutting up. But when they make the dead start walking, I'm done sitting back and hoping for the best. The time has come. Every revolution needs a spark to get it started and these kids that won are it. Especially that girl Katniss."

Over the years we've worked our way through that old box of books Dale gave me. There's a history of the United States which seems to be the name of our country before planet-wide catastrophe changed the face of North America forever. There are maps as well. The section of Panem that was long ago called the Deep South is now our District 11.

The United States had slavery, too, and civil war because of it. The South was in favor of slavery then but what goes around comes around and we're on the receiving end this time. But there's a phrase in one of the books that Daryl and Merle and I like: The South shall rise again.

We meet with Rick and the four of us plan a revolution in District 11. Everyone joins in. Nothing is written down and there are no big meetings. Word is passed in quiet conversation while working. Haymitch visits Merle and we learn it's happening in all the outlying districts. It becomes more organized with Haymitch as liaison.

I'm working on a personal goal and Daryl notices. One night as we start to make each other feel good he sits back on the bed and says admiringly, "You're cut as hell."

"Did you say cut or cute?"

"Cut. But cute works too."

"Was I flabby before?"

"Nope. But you've been ripping it up lately and it shows."

"We're rebels. I want to be ready."

Daryl eyes my cock. "Appears you're ready for somethin' else right now."

We're both ready for that.

A new feeling is in the air, drifting from district to district. Snow doesn't realize how deep the seeds of rebellion have been sown. It may take awhile before they come to fruition but they'll be his downfall eventually. People are beginning to think of freedom as a real possibility instead of a long-dead dream. We aren't ready to stand up and fight yet but it's building to a showdown.

A change is coming.