Sunlight makes me wince and turn away from the window. Things are okay, I guess. Sunlight makes me sad, though. It reminds me too much of lazy Sundays with him, up in trees, laughing and running through endless fields of wildflowers. Peeta. Me. Us. Together. Could it really have only been two days پہلے we were dreaming of a future together?
Tonight is the Opening Ceremony where the tributes ride through the City دائرے, حلقہ in the Capitol on chariots, shown off to the world. It makes me nervous, thinking about who he will face against اگلے week, the stars sent to slaughter disguised as entertainment.
Then tomorrow is دن one of training. There are three days of training, then the tributes have a private session with the Gamemakers to receive a score based on their chances and also on their performances. After that are interviews, and finally, the اگلے morning, the tributes are shipped off to the arena and the live coverage begins of the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

The rest of the دن is a blur of Brant running around, yelling "Happy Happy Hunger Games!" and Mother playing the aged piano in the living room. I recognize the song, not at first, but once she starts singing the lyrics. It's the valley song they taught us on the first دن of school. Somewhere in my head I want to scream at her for making me hurt with that song, but it makes me and Brant sleepy.

Finally, Brant wakes me up سے طرف کی hollering, "Maevie! Maevie! The دکھائیں is starting! Come with me, Maevie! Come on!" he drags me into the living room so we both can sit in front of the television. Sure enough, people wearing a million different colors and brilliant smiles and glossy colorful hairstyles and long fingers and prominent hip bones are swarming everywhere on the screen. Reporters are updating us on what's happening offscreen.

After a few minutes, the District One chariot rolls out. The whole thing is a tasteful glittery white, including the horses pulling the contraption. They are favorites, District Ones. They, Two, and Four form the vicious بھیڑیا pack known as Careers; they train in special schools, and where they're from, volunteering is a huge honor. The chariots start moving in order. The onlookers cheer for their favorites. And then suddenly, no one knows what to say. Because District 12 has something happening that's never happened before. Yes, Peeta and Katniss, this year's tributes from District 12, are on [i]fire![i]
It looks like no one knows what to do besides cheer louder. "KATNISS! KATNISS! DISTRICT 12! DISTRICT 12! PEETA! PEETA! DISTRICT 12! DISTRICT 12!" Everyone blows kisses and screams and tosses red roses at them. I want to do the same.

Finally, all the chariots line up in a semicircle and receive a message from President Snow about tomorrow's training.

Once everyone leaves, we get to see small interviews with some of the stylists. We get to meet Katniss's stylist, a kind man with [i]quite[i] a lot of سونا eyeliner, Cinna. The reporter asks Cinna, "I think we're all wondering: Cinna, was the آگ کے, آگ آپ used for Katniss and Peeta's costume real?"
"Absolutely not. Synthetic آگ کے, آگ is a very safe, realistic alternative for actual flames. However, I couldn't be مزید pleased with the feedback on the costumes tonight."
The reporter signs off. The ویژن ٹیلی sleeps.
I don't. The idea that Peeta will have to kill یا be killed سے طرف کی the other people riding chariots keeps me up all night. Hoping. Praying. I can only hope that the odds will be in his favor through all this.