Close your eyes, Mason." What?"" Close your eyes. Somewhere in this palace, there is a woman who will be your wife. This girl? Imagine that she depends on you. She needs you to cherish her and make her feel like the Selection didn't even happen. Like if you were dropped in your own out in the middle of the country to wander around door to door, she's still the one you would have found. She was always the one you would have picked. She needs you to provide for her and protect her. And if it came to a point where there was absolutely nothing to eat, and you couldn't even fall asleep at night because the sound of her stomach growling kept you awake—""Stop it!"" Sorry."" Is that really what it's like? Out there... does that happen? Are people hungry like that a lot?"" Maxon, I..."" Tell me the truth."" Yes. That happens. I know of families where people give up their share for their children or siblings. I know of a boy who was whipped in the town square for stealing food. Sometimes you do crazy things when you are desperate."" A boy? How old?"" Nine."" Have you ever been like that? Starving?... How bad?"" Maxon, it will only upset you more."" Probably, but I'm only starting to realize how much I don't know about my own country. Please."" We've been pretty bad. Most time if it gets to where we have to choose, we keep the food and lose electricity. The worst was when it happened near Christmas one year. May didn't understand why we couldn't exchange gifts. As a general rule, there are never any leftovers at my house. Someone always wants more. I know the checks we've gotten over the last few weeks have really helped, and my family is really smart about money. I'm sure they have already tucked it away so it will stretch out for a long time. You've done so much for us, Mason."" Good God. When you said that you were only here for the food, you weren't kidding, were you?"" Really, Mason, we've been doing pretty well lately. I—""I'll see you at dinner.

The Selection