TheEye

I’ve been reading all day… Hah, probably didn’t see that one coming!
The Hunger Games
I never knew a book could get me to this, but it has been an intense read.
I barely read at all, but what happened today is almost certainly changing that!

SPOILER ALERT (If this is still a spoiler for the few of you)

The story so far was about the tributes, most of them dead, fighting for their lives. The stronger ones made an alliance, and so did Katniss and Rue. Rue has been the girl that I had been liking very much. She was quick, kind, smart and I imagined her as very cute and innocent. Also Katniss is fond of her, as she is being reminded of Primrose… Then this part comes and everything turns for me…

I swallow and sing softly back, hoping she’ll know it’s safe to join me. A mockingjay repeats the melody to me. And that’s when I hear the scream.
It’s a child’s scream, a young girl’s scream; there’s no one in the arena capable of making that sound except Rue. And now I’m running, knowing this may be a trap, knowing the three Careers may be poised to attack me, but I can’t help myself. There’s another high-pitched cry, this time it’s my name. “Katniss! Katniss!”
“Rue!” I shout back, so she knows I’m near. So they know I’m near, and hopefully the girl who has attached them with the tracker jackers and got an eleven they still can’t explain will be enough to pull their attention away from her. “Rue! I’m coming!”
When I break into the clearing, she’s on the ground, hoplessly entangled in a net. She just has the time to reach her hand through the mesh and say my name before the spear enters het body.

I felt both enraged and aggrieved at the loss of this wonderful girl. I guess the book had engulfed me this much, because I had seen a poor, helpless, innocent girl laying on the ground. I had heard her soft but clear voice screaming in terror. “Katniss! KATNISS!” (Oh, how I wish I could yell this for all of you to hear… I really hope they did this part justice in the movie!)
So far I’m sort of only mad at Suzanne for letting this awesome and sweet girl pass away (I had rather seen her win instead of Katniss, or them togather instead of… I’m not gonna spoil that much)
Then I kept reading, feeling furious at the District 1 boy. Katniss did right by shooting him. But here, it starts to get painful.

There’s no point in comforting words, in telling her she’ll be alright. She’s no fool.

That’s one of the things I admired about her, her cool use of intellect and her backstory about Music being what she loved the most.

Her hand reaches out and I clutch it like a lifeline. As if it’s me who’s dying instead of Rue.
“You blew up the food?” she whispers.

Here, I can’t help finding myself smiling, because it was Rue’s way of leaving completely. Knowing that her sacrifice had not been in vain.

“Every last bit of it,” I say.
“You have to win,” she says.
“I’m going to. Going to win for both of us now,” I promise. I hear a cannon and look up. It must be for the boy from District 1.
“Don’t go.” Rue tightens her grip on my hand.
“Course not. Staying right here,” I say. I move in closer to her pulling her head on to my lap. I gently brush the dark, thick hair back behind her ear.

“Sing,” she says, but I barely catch the word.

This is where I completely lost it. I started crying. Not only because I knew this would be her last wish, Music. But also because I was touched by how unbelievably serious this was. It may be fiction, but these things happen all the time. Right here, all around us, but without us noticing. Little girl from twelve years old gets used for the amusement of others and dies. I can’t help myself, and I believe I sobbed on for half an hour. I read on, but I kept crying the entire time. Feeling empty, because of this blow. The final blow I couldn’t handle.
A guy… crying. Some people might see this as weakness, but I don’t. I don’t care what other people think of me anymore. I think of me as myself, being myself and living my life, and not that life that anyone else wanted or wants me to live. I don’t see crying as weakness, not even in a guy. Especially not in a guy, because, even though they mostly act all tough… this shows they’re human.
I finally get a hold of myself, but as I read on…

…
My throat is tight with tears, hoarse from smoke and fatigue. But if this is Prim’s, I mean, Rue’s last request,

Again I sob, because of the comparison to anyone’s little sister. Especially because she sacrificed her life for her sister, and then, in a way, still watches her die.

I have to at least try. The song that comes to me is a lullaby,

…

I give a small cough, swallow hard, and begin:
Deep in the meadow, onder the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.

Here it’s safe, here it’s warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

… But I have to finish the song for her

Again another sob. I see this as a last goodbye, and for some reason (because the writer wanted it that way) the song fits perfectly for the moment. I can’t help myself from crying as Katniss ‘sings’ Rue to her death.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it’s morning, they’ll wash
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
The final lines are barely audible
Here is the place where I love you.

The fact that Katniss starts crying here, knowing Rue is dead is really emotional and because it’s written so well it feals so real. So close.

Also, when Katniss starts to cover her in flowers I can’t help but smile, because of this gesture of rebellion against the Capitol.

Ok, so all this has really happened today. And it’s also all that happened. I read. On and on.

I can’t wait for the movie though!

Oh and by the way, I think (and I’m going to ask Gointorosedale as well, because if she hasn’t already, I’ll force her to read this when I see her in school again in two days) that this is the best writing I have done in my life so far.

Hope she in particular (don’t know why) likes it. And y’all do too, of course!

THE HUNGER GAMES - You gotta read the book! And that is saying something, coming from me!

Can’t wait for Catching Fire