By the end of the session, I am no one at all. Haymitch started drinking somewhere around witty, and a nasty edge has crept into his voice. "I give up, sweetheart. Just answer the questions and try not to let the audience see how openly you despise them.

She must have really loved him to leave her home for the Seam. I try to remember that when all I can see is the woman who sat by, blank and unreachable, while her children turned to skin and bones. I try to forgive her for my father's sake. But to be honest, I'm not the forgiving type.

I wish she was dead,' he says. 'I wish they were all dead and we were, too. It would be best.

Oh, he's on top of it. It was volunteer only, but he pretended not to notice me waving my hand in the air," says Haymitch. "See? He's already demonstrated good judgment.

He never lets go of Annie's hand. Not when they walk, not when they eat. I doubt he ever plans to.

And then, if you make it to bedtime, you feel the joy of cheating death out of one more day," she said. "Do you see?

You know, you're kind of squeamish for such a lethal person