"Let me start from the beginning." He takes a breath, then starts the story -- with a little less gusto than he's given it in the past. "Panem is organized into one main city, the Capitol, and twelve Districts. Each District has its own industry -- textiles, produce, livestock, power -- and they provide these goods to the rest of Panem. In return, the Capitol organizes production, ensures that everything happens smoothly, and is the center of learning and art. However, nearly eighty years ago, there was an uprising. The war between the Districts and the Capitol was brutal, and in the end, the Capitol won. The Hunger Games are the Districts' punishment. Until about two years ago, each District would send two Tributes, one boy and one girl, to the Capitol to participate in a fight to the death, until only one was left alive." Here he pauses, to make sure she's following.