The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Two

"This is part of what we all do here ladies," One said to the three girls who were still conscious.

"Why do you need all three of us?" Arya complained. "The princess here seems to have it under control." Arya motioned towards Hermione.

"You know we take care of each other in threes. Just like there are three of us," One answered.

"It's not like she's going to be here for long anyway," Katniss remarked looking down at Binny who was just starting to rouse.

One gave Katniss a reproachful smile. "Katniss, you never know who might stick around. It took awhile for Hermione to arrive and now look at her." One gave Hermione's shoulder a squeeze.

Hermione looked embarrassed.

"Three siblings getting super powers? It's derivative at best, drivel at worst," Katniss sneered.

"The girl from the Hunger Games is calling Binny's book derivative? You've read Battle Royale haven't you?" Arya said.

"Uh, Lord of the Flies anyone?" Hermione lectured.

"Uh, Lord of the Rings anyone?" Katniss snapped.

Arya snorted.

"You should talk when it comes to stealing from Tolkien." Hermione shot back at Arya.

A voice from the floor interrupted the bickering. "I'm not dreaming, am I."

"No. You're not." Hermione crouched down to face Binny, extending a hand.

"Thanks." Binny took the offered hand and got to her feet. "Uh, Hermione, can I ask you a question?"

"Why of course." Hermione smiled.

"And I apologize in advance if I'm saying the wrong thing, but, how come you don't look like – "

"The movie?" Hermione gave a knowing smile.

Binny flushed worrying she'd caused offense.

"It's okay. Even people who've been here for awhile wonder that." Hermione tried to be reassuring. "Everyone here is a character from a book. You see me as my author intended. Just as I see you as your author intended."

Hermione continued, "Most of the characters here are from books that have not been made into films."

"Or incredibly successful television programs," Arya interrupted.

Katniss snickered.

"Or television programs," Hermione agreed with Arya before continuing. "But because most characters who know us are familiar with our film or TV representations they get confused when they see us here expecting us to look more like the actors playing us on screen."

Katniss picked up Binny's book and had it open to a particular page. "See this picture?" Katniss stabbed at the image with her index finger.

Binny looked at the drawing. It was her, but not her.

"You don't look exactly like that, do you?" Katniss continued.

"No. I guess not," Binny agreed. It also occurred to Binny that not only was this girl purporting to be Katniss Everdeen not sixteen, but she didn't act much like the Katniss Binny was familiar with in the books. Binny decided it best to keep that observation to herself for the moment.

"Your book has drawings at the beginning of each chapter like mine. That image is the book's illustrator's conception of you. But, what you look like here in the Stacks is what your author was imagining as he or she wrote your book." Hermione said.