Sunrise on the Reaping

I have nothing to live for.” I say this without even a note of self-pity. I am simply stating a fact.
“Then you have nothing to lose. That puts you in a position of power.”

A sister, I’d said. But what is that exactly? I think about our journey — everything from sniping with her in those early days after the reaping to battling those pink birds. I guess that’s my answer. A sister is someone you fight with and fight for. Tooth and nail.

Hoping for something better could be dangerous; it could blind me to the reality of my situation. I remember how Mamaw always said, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” But from where I’m sitting, hope seems a lot like white liquor. It can fool you in the short run, but like as not, you’ll end up paying for it twice.