Голодные игры

           Fromthisplace,weareinvisible buthaveaclearviewofthevalley, whichisteemingwithsummerlife, greenstogather,rootstodig,fishiridescentinthesunlight. Thedayisglorious,withablueskyandsoftbreeze. Thefood’swonderful,withthecheeseseepingintothewarmbreadandtheberriesburstinginourmouths. Everythingwouldbeperfectifthisreallywasaholiday,ifallthedayoffmeantwasroamingthemountainswithGale,huntingfortonight’ssupper.Butinsteadwehavetobestandinginthesquareattwoo’clockwaitingforthenamestobecalledout. 

           "Wecoulddoit,youknow,"Galesaysquietly. 

           "What?"Iask. 

           "Leavethedistrict.Runoff.Liveinthewoods.YouandI,wecouldmakeit,"saysGale. 

           Idon’tknowhowtorespond.Theideaissopreposterous. 

           "Ifwedidn’thavesomanykids,"headdsquickly. 

           They’renotourkids,ofcourse.Buttheymightaswellbe.Gale’stwolittlebrothersandasister.Prim.Andyoumayaswellthrowinourmothers,too,becausehowwouldtheylivewithoutus?Whowouldfillthosemouthsthatarealwaysaskingformore? Withbothofushuntingdaily,therearestillnightswhengamehastobeswappedforlardorshoelacesorwool,stillnightswhenwegotobedwithourstomachsgrowling. 

           "Ineverwanttohavekids,"Isay. 

           "Imight.IfIdidn’tlivehere,"saysGale. 

           "Butyoudo,"Isay,irritated. 

           "Forgetit,"hesnapsback. 

           Theconversationfeelsallwrong.Leave?HowcouldIleavePrim,whoistheonlypersonintheworldI’mcertainIlove?AndGaleisdevotedtohisfamily.