Sometimes people rebelled. The Peacekeepers would round them up and their families and execute them in front of everyone. Then they left the bodies in the square for a few days.

It was worse in the summer.

[Rue studied the shelves and took a small pack of dried mango off the shelf.]

But some people scavenged for food. They'd sneak out at night and go back to the orchards or find ways past the fence into the meadows beyond.