Sky's second POV takes place within a year after her Games. She has since begun to heal.
Sky Levings- District Five (17)
I can do it. I'm smart. I'm capable. I have as much chance as anyone else, and a lot more than some people. I could win it all and get out of here. I could have anything I wanted and live in the Capitol, in the lap of luxury.
I wouldn't kill the younger Tributes, only the ones that deserved it. Only the Careers and anyone else who tried to kill me. They had it coming anyway. They'd kill all the others, I'd kill them, and I'd be home free.
There were some things to worry about. There was the Bloodbath. I might not be fast enough. But I'd run a few races in my time. I just had to be faster than the slowest Tributes. I didn't want my family to worry back home, but I'd make up for it when I took them all to the Victor's Village.
It was such an easy decision. Here, I had nothing to look forward to but a life of poverty and backbreaking work. This was my only chance for more. I'd have to hurt some people to get there, but they would have died anyway. I was tired of everyone overlooking me and getting lost in the crowd. It was time to go big. I was going to blow them all away.
"I volunteer!"
What have I done?
I said I was only going to kill the ones who deserved it. I wanted to blow up the Careers and have all of Panem see me win the Games. I did it, too. Oh god, I did it.
Margo wasn't a monster. Rapture wasn't a monster. Alex wasn't a monster. I didn't care when I killed them. It was Priscilla who taught me. Priscilla, who was more human and more noble than I ever was.
"You killed my little sister, you know. Kiko, don't avenge us." She didn't even hate me. She spent her last minutes trying to help someone else. I watched her die and I knew what I was.
The Careers were victims more than any of us. All their lives they were told to kill and hunt. They never knew it was wrong and they never had a chance at a normal life. They lived in the richest Districts and all they cared about was killing those with less. They were like dogs beaten and urged into savagery. But Priscilla lived through all of that. She was a loving sister to the end. If she'd had it her way, she and Kiko would be playing Hoops now.
They didn't know. It was a Game to them. It was destiny to them- the only way to have value. I knew. I knew all along it was wrong to kill. I watched them kill and I felt the pain when we lost our children year after year. Instead of thinking of my family, I thought of myself. I thought of my chance at glory and my ticket to riches. I thought of killing, but not the people I would kill.
I planned it. I looked forward to it. They were pushed into this by parents and everyone around them. No one did that to me. I volunteered because I wanted to.
I volunteered.
My mind recoiled at the horror. I shied away from the thought over and over, but it was always there.
Mars said it wasn't my fault, but he didn't know why I volunteered. I'd never tell him. He could never forgive me for that, and I couldn't bear to lose his friendship. He said I couldn't bring them back by blaming myself. He meant to emphasize that I shouldn't blame myself, but what I heard is that I couldn't bring them back. My decision was made in a single instant, but the consequences were permanent. I could never put it back.
Whose fault was it if it wasn't mine? I was the one who volunteered to kill. I could see Priscilla change for the better in the Games. At the same time, I changed for the worse. I wasn't killing monsters. I was the monster.