{"id":141,"date":"2011-01-12T07:00:31","date_gmt":"2011-01-12T15:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=141"},"modified":"2011-01-09T17:10:41","modified_gmt":"2011-01-10T01:10:41","slug":"mark-reads-catching-fire-chapter-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2011\/01\/mark-reads-catching-fire-chapter-18\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads &#8216;Catching Fire&#8217;: Chapter 18"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the eighteenth chapter of <em>Catching Fire<\/em>, seriously? How do I even summarize what just happened? Just read the review.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Good lord. Now I know why you guys said you blew through this book in one setting. Reading this one chapter at a time? Simply unbearable.<\/p>\n<p>The uprising has now been made public. TO EVERYONE. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because of Cinna that this is happening. I AM SO EXCITED. THIS IS ME RIGHT NOW.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leqvn15myO1qavbnl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"497\" height=\"501\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I am completely in awe of this story right now.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Caesar gestures for Cinna to rise. He does, and makes a small, gracious bow. And suddenly I am so afraid for him. What has he done? Something terribly dangerous. An act of rebellion in itself. And he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s done it for me. I remember his words\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worry. I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hurt anyone but myself.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m afraid he has hurt himself beyond repair. The significance of my fiery transformation will not be lost on President Snow.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Seriously, saying TEAM CINNA doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do him justice. He has consistently acted in her best interest, ignoring his own. This might be the most extreme example of that. Bless him forever.<\/p>\n<p>But I was never, ever prepared for what Peeta does next.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Peeta pauses for a long moment, as if deciding something. He looks out at the spellbound audience, then at the floor, then finally up at Caesar. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Caesar, do you think all our friends here can keep a secret?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>WHAT?????<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I feel quite certain of it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Caesar.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re already married,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Peeta quietly. The crowd reacts in astonishment, and I have to bury my face in the folds of my skirt so they can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see my confusion. Where on earth is he going with this?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leqs9907TM1qavbnl.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"154\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Peeta weaves a story to Caesar about how he married Katniss in a traditional ceremony (referenced in the previous chapter) because they simply couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t wait. And then the Quell was announced and their marriage suddenly became all the more tragic. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s genius on Peeta\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s part, to enhance the sheer horror of what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happening.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not glad,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Peeta. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I wish we had waited until the whole thing was done officially.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>This takes even Caesar aback. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Surely even a brief time is better than no time?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maybe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d think that, too, Caesar,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Peeta bitterly, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153if it weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t for the baby.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>WWWWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leowjwIPny1qavbnl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"267\" height=\"292\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Peeta, you have brought it. You have now won <em>all the things<\/em> and I seriously need to develop the technology to give fictional characters high fives. This is beautiful.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>As the bomb explodes, it sends accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flying out in every direction. Even the most Capitol-loving, Games-hungry, bloodthirsty person out there can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ignore, at least for the moment, how horrific the whole thing is.<\/p>\n<p>I am pregnant.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Peeta, you are genius. This is your finest moment. Can the Capitol actual go forward with the idea of killing a pregnant mother? Are they that depraved?<\/p>\n<p>Sure, they might actually be, and Peeta\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bluff might be pointless, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure he knew this. Because the affect that matters most is the fact that everyone <em>else<\/em> who hears this has now reacted in a way that now virtually begs for a rebellion.<\/p>\n<p>The audience has now gone wild, essentially, reacting so chaotically to the news Peeta just shared with the country that Caesar cannot even keep them remotely under control. As the din in the room continues to overpower everything else, one of the most surprising things yet occurs:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>And then it happens. Up and down the row, the victors begin to join hands. Some right away, like the morphlings, or Wiress and Beetee. Others unsure but caught up in the demands of those around them, like Brutus and Enobaria. By the time the anthem plays its final strains, all twenty-four of us stand in one unbroken line in what must be the first public show of unity among the districts since the Dark Days. You can see the realization of this as the screens begin to pop into blackness. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too late, though. In the confusion they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cut us off in time. Everyone has seen.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>HOW. HOW CAN THE GAMES EVEN GO ON AT THIS POINT. The victors have just given the entirety of Panem a symbol, an image of unification, something they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been denied for longer than anyone can remember.<\/p>\n<p>The chaos continues as the lights go out on stage and Katpee rush out of the theater and board an elevator alone.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The moment we step off the elevator, Peeta grips my shoulders. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t much time, so tell me. Is there anything I have to apologize for?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nothing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I say. It was a big leap to take without my okay, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just glad I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know, didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have time to second guess him, to let any guilt over Gale detract from how I really feel about what Peeta did. Which is empowered.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>RIGHT??? Oh man, I know this is going to work against them in the future, but just ALLOW ME THESE MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We wait for the others to return, but when the elevator opens, only Haymitch appears. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s madness out there. Everyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been sent home and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve canceled the recap of the interviews on television.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Peeta and I hurry to the window and try to make sense of the commotion far below us on the streets. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What are they saying?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peeta asks. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are they asking the president to stop the Games?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think they know themselves what to ask. The whole situation is unprecedented. Even the idea of opposing the Capitol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s agenda is a source of confusion for the people here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Haymitch. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no way Snow would cancel the Games. You know that, right?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know. Given what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happened, I actually entertained the thought. I still sort of am. I think it would be pretty surprising if something happened to derail the Games.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem like it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to happen at this point. They realize they aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to see Effie again, so they ask Haymitch to thank her, to <em>really<\/em> thank her for what she did for them. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s even harder to say goodbye to Haymitch, who they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be seeing for the last time as well. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m worried that the Capitol will do something to Haymitch if the Games go ahead as planned. Would they murder Katpee\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mentor just to make things more difficult?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We cross the room, but in the doorway, Haymitch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice stops us. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Katniss, when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in the arena,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he begins. Then he pauses. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s scowling in a way that makes me sure I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve already disappointed him.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I ask defensively.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You just remember who the enemy is,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Haymitch tells me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Thinking about this a second time, I feel like this sheds a lot of light on Haymitch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s insistence on Katpee making allies. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disappointed in her yet; maybe he believes that if there was one person who could inspire the other tributes to revolt in the arena, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Katniss. So he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s merely reminding her: her competitors are not her enemy. The Capitol is.<\/p>\n<p>After an awful night of sleep, they awake and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s apparent the Games are going forward as planned. Peeta and Katniss are separated and Cinna begins to work his calming magic. I respect him so much for how dedicated he is towards making Katniss feel comfortable. He sits with her in the Hovercraft until they reach the Launch Room at the arena, where he begins the process of dressing her and doing her hair.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We sit, as we did last year, holding hands until the voice tells me to prepare for the launch. He walks me over to the circular metal plate and zips up the neck of my jumpsuit securely. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Remember, girl on fire,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still betting on you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He kisses my forehead and steps back as the glass cylinder slides down around me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Even reading this a second time for the review, my heart gets heavy with dread. The plate doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t rise immediately, as it usually does. In a moment of panic, Katniss looks to Cinna for answers he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Suddenly the door behind him bursts open and three Peacekeepers spring into the room. Two pin Cinna\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arms behind him and cuff him while the third hits him in the temple with such force he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s knocked to his knees. But they keep hitting him with metal-studded gloves, opening gashes on his face and body. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m screaming my head off, banging on the unyielding glass, trying to reach him. The Peacekeepers ignore me completely as they drag Cinna\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s limp body from the room. All that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s left are the smears of blood on the floor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leoa13MFCK1qavbnl.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leoa13MFCK1qavbnl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"497\" height=\"501\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do that to Cinna. Oh god, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to kill him for what he did, aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t they? Oh jesus christ, this is so horrible. CIIIIIINNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAA!!!!<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Sickened and terrified, I feel the plate begin to rise. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still leaning against the glass when the breeze catches my hair and I force myself to straighten up. Just in time, too, because the glass is retreating and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m standing free in the arena.<\/p>\n<p>Something seems to be wrong with my vision. The ground is too bright and shiny and keeps undulating. I squint down at my feet and see that my metal plate is surrounded by blue waves that lap up over my boots. Slowly I raise my eyes and take in the water spreading out in every direction.<\/p>\n<p>I can only form one clear thought.<\/p>\n<p><em>This is no place for a girl on fire<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>THE ARENA IS FUCKING WATER??????<\/strong> Oh god up in heaven, this is simply un-preparable.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leo67dZA3e1qavbnl.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_leo67dZA3e1qavbnl.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"241\" height=\"165\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t handle this. The Games are happening, Cinna\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s likely dead, and the arena is water-based.<\/p>\n<p>Collins: 4 billion, All The Rest of Us: 0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the eighteenth chapter of Catching Fire, seriously? How do I even summarize what just happened? Just read the review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,5],"tags":[32,28,33,24,27],"class_list":["post-141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-catching-fire","category-hunger-games","tag-catching-fire-2","tag-katniss-everdeen","tag-mark-reads-catching-fire","tag-mark-reads-the-hunger-games","tag-suzanne-collins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. 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