"Little thing"
' Mother says I can't volunteer until I'm older. Like- almost too old! What happens if someone else gets it?'
An eight-year-old Cashmere stands with glitter on her eyelids and fingernails. There is a two inch tear on her pants leg, where she mishandled her own blade and sliced open the fabric. She's lucky- it caught no skin of her leg and so there won't be any repercussions coming from her trainers. If you mess up, you lose scores, which takes away from your chance of being able to volunteer. The thought of NOT being in the games terrified her. Even at her age, where dancing with your friends in the rain- riding bikes in the streets, or playing with dolls- she imagines knives slipping through the necks of children from other districts.
She is a monster- yet one that is the product of her environment.