《the hunger games-饥饿游戏(英文版)》饥饿游戏(英文版)-第73章

t　happy。　All　I　can　think　about　is　Thresh　letting　me　go；　letting　me　run　because　of　Rue；　who　died　with　that　spear　in　her　stomach。　。　。　。
¨You　all　right？〃　asks　Peeta。
I　give　a　nonmittal　shrug　and　cup　my　elbows　in　my　hands；　hugging　them　close　to　my　body。　I　have　to　bury　the　real　pain　because　whoˇs　going　to　bet　on　a　tribute　who　keeps　sniveling　over　the　deaths　of　her　opponents。　Rue　was　one　thing。　We　were　allies。　She　was　so　young。　But　no　one　will　understand　my　sorrow　at　Threshˇs　murder。　The　word　pulls　me　up　short。　Murder！　Thankfully；　I　didnˇt　say　it　aloud。　Thatˇs　not　going　to　win　me　any　points　in　the　arena。　What　I　do　say　is；　¨Itˇs　just　。　。　。　if　we　didnˇt　win　。　。　。　I　wanted　Thresh　to。　Because　he　let　me　go。　And　because　of　Rue。〃
¨Yeah；　I　know；〃　says　Peeta。　¨But　this　means　weˇre　one　step　closer　to　District　Twelve。〃　He　nudges　a　plate　of　foot　into　my　hands。　¨Eat。　Itˇs　still　warm。〃
I　take　a　bite　of　the　stew　to　show　I　donˇt　really　care；　but　itˇs　like　glue　in　my　mouth　and　takes　a　lot　of　effort　to　swallow。　¨It　also　means　Cato　will　be　back　hunting　us。〃
¨And　heˇs　got　supplies　again；〃　says　Peeta。
¨Heˇll　be　wounded；　I　bet；〃　I　say。
¨What　makes　you　say　that？〃　Peeta　asks。
¨Because　Thresh　would　have　never　gone　down　without　a　fight。　Heˇs　so　strong；　I　mean；　he　was。　And　they　were　in　his　territory；〃　I　say。
¨Good；〃　says　Peeta。　¨The　more　wounded　Cato　is　the　better。　I　wonder　how　Foxface　is　making　out。〃
¨Oh；　sheˇs　fine；〃　I　say　peevishly。　Iˇm　still　angry　she　thought　of　hiding　in　the　Cornucopia　and　I　didnˇt。　¨Probably　be　easier　to　catch　Cato　than　her。〃
¨Maybe　theyˇll　catch　each　other　and　we　can　just　go　home；〃　says　Peeta。　¨But　we　better　be　extra　careful　about　the　watches。　I　dozed　off　a　few　times。〃
¨Me；　too；〃　I　admit。　¨But　not　tonight。〃
We　finish　our　food　in　silence　and　then　Peeta　offers　to　take　the　first　watch。　I　burrow　down　in　the　sleeping　bag　next　to　him；　pulling　my　hood　up　over　my　face　to　hide　it　from　the　cameras。　I　just　need　a　few　moments　of　privacy　where　I　can　let　any　emotion　cross　my　face　without　being　seen。　Under　the　hood；　I　silently　say　good…bye　to　Thresh　and　thank　him　for　my　life。　I　promise　to　remember　him　and；　if　I　can；　do　something　to　help　his　family　and　Rueˇs；　if　I　win。　Then　I　escape　into　sleep；　forted　by　a　full　belly　and　the　steady　warmth　of　Peeta　beside　me。
When　Peeta　wakes　me　later；　the　first　thing　I　register　is　the　smell　of　goat　cheese。　Heˇs　holding　out　half　a　roll　spread　with　the　creamy　white　stuff　and　topped　with　apple　slices。　¨Donˇt　be　mad；〃　he　says。　¨I　had　to　eat　again。　Hereˇs　your　half。〃
¨Oh；　good；〃　I　say；　immediately　taking　a　huge　bite。　The　strong　fatty　cheese　tastes　just　like　the　kind　Prim　makes；　the　apples　are　sweet　and　crunchy。　¨Mm。〃
¨We　make　a　goat　cheese　and　apple　tart　at　the　bakery；〃　he　says。
¨Bet　thatˇs　expensive；〃　I　say。
¨Too　expensive　for　my　family　to　eat。　Unless　itˇs　gone　very　stale。　Of　course；　practically　everything　we　eat　is　stale；〃　says　Peeta；　pulling　the　sleeping　bag　up　around　him。　In　less　than　a　minute；　heˇs　snoring。
Huh。　I　always　assumed　the　shopkeepers　live　a　soft　life。
And　itˇs　true；　Peeta　has　always　had　enough　to　eat。　But　thereˇs　something　kind　of　depressing　about　living　your　life　on　stale　bread；　the　hard；　dry　loaves　that　no　one　else　wanted。　One　thing　about　us；　since　I　bring　our　food　home　on　a　daily　basis；　most　of　it　is　so　fresh　you　have　to　make　sure　it　isnˇt　going　to　make　a　run　for　it。
Somewhere　during　my　shift；　the　rain　stops　not　gradually　but　all　at　once。　The　downpour　ends　and　thereˇs　only　the　residual　drippings　of　water　from　branches；　the　rush　of　the　now　overflowing　stream　below　us。　A　full；　beautiful　moon　emerges；　and　even　without　the　glasses　I　can　see　outside。　I　canˇt　decide　if　the　moon　is　real　or　merely　a　projection　of　the　Gamemakers。　I　know　it　was　full　shortly　before　I　left　home。　Gale　and　I　watched　it　rise　as　we　hunted　into　the　late　hours。　
How　long　have　I　been　gone？　Iˇm　guessing　itˇs　been　about　two　weeks　in　the　arena；　and　there　was　that　week　of　preparation　in　the　Capitol。　Maybe　the　moon　has　pleted　its　cycle。　For　some　reason；　I　badly　want　it　to　be　my　moon；　the　same　one　I　see　from　the　woods　around　District　12。　That　would　give　me　something　to　cling　to　in　the　surreal　world　of　the　arena　where　the　authenticity　of　everything　is　to　be　doubted。
Four　of　us　left。
For　the　first　time；　I　allow　myself　to　truly　think　about　the　possibility　that　I　might　make　it　home。　To　fame。　To　wealth。　To　my　own　house　in　the　Victorˇs　Village。　My　mother　and　Prim　would　live　there　with　me。　No　more　fear　of　hunger。　A　new　kind　of　freedom。　But　then　。　。　。　what？　What　would　my　life　be　like　on　a　daily　basis？　Most　of　it　has　been　consumed　with　the　acquisition　of　food。　Take　that　away　and　Iˇm　not　really　sure　who　I　am；　what　my　identity　is。　The　idea　scares　me　some。　I　think　of　Haymitch；　with　all　his　money。　What　did　his　life　bee？　He　lives　alone；　no　wife　or　children；　most　of　his　waking　hours　drunk。　I　donˇt　want　to　end　up　like　that。
¨But　you　wonˇt　be　alone；〃　I　whisper　to　myself。　I　have　my　mother　and　Prim。　Well；　for　the　time　being。　And　then　。　。　。　I　donˇt　want　to　think　about　then；　when　Prim　has　grown　up；　my　mother　passed　away。　I　know　Iˇll　never　marry；　never　risk　bringing　a　child　into　the　world。　Because　if　thereˇs　one　thing　being　a　victor　doesnˇt　guarantee；　itˇs　your　childrenˇs　safety。　My　kidsˇ　names　would　go　right　into　the　reaping　balls　with　everyone　elseˇs。　And　I　swear　Iˇll　never　let　that　happen。
The　sun　eventually　rises；　its　light　slipping　through　the　cracks　and　illuminating　Peetaˇs　face。　Who　will　he　transform　into　if　we　make　it　home？　This　perplexing；　good…natured　boy　who　can　spin　out　lies　so　convincingly　the　whole　of　Panem　believes　him　to　be　hopelessly　in　love　with　me；　and　Iˇll　admit　it；　there　are　moments　when　he　makes　me　believe　it　myself？　At　least；　weˇll　be　friends；　I　think。　Nothing　will　change　the　fact　that　weˇve　saved　each　otherˇs　lives　in　here。　And　beyond　that；　he　will　always
be　the　boy　with　the　bread。　Good　friends。　Anything　beyond　that　though　。　。　。　and　I　feel　Galeˇs　gray　eyes　watching　me　watching　Peeta；　all　the　way　from　District　12。
Disfort　causes　me　to　move。　I　scoot　over　and　shake　Peetaˇs　shoulder。　His　eyes　open　sleepily　and　when　the