The Hunger Games Tribute: Chapter Summaries

THG Chapter 1

We first meet Katniss Everdeen, 16, as she wakes in the morning. She has a younger sister, Prim, and a mother. Prim is described as fresh and lovely as the primrose for which she was named. We also meet Prim's cat, Buttercup. When Prim brought him home, she tried to drown it because she didn't need another mouth to feed. He has distrusted her since. Katniss gets out of bed, and goes hunting but not before grabbing the goat cheese Prim left for her. Where Katniss lives is called the Seam and is part of District 12. District 12 is where coal is found and mining is what the men and women of the Seam do for work. But for today, everyone is inside their homes. Katniss heads to the Meadow and to a fence that it usually electrified. Since the town is lucky to get a few hours of electricity per day, she listens and then crawls under it into the woods. She grabs her bow and arrows that her father made from a hollow log. Her father taught her how to find food in the woods before he died. He died in a mine explosion when she was 11. Tresspassing into the woods and hunting is illegal but most would risk it if they had the weapons. The District's Peacekeepers also turn a blind eye because they also want to fresh meat and are some of their best customers. In the woods is the only person with whom she can be herself, Gale. Gale calls her Catnip, which is what he thought she said when they first met. After a lynx started following her, the name stuck. Katniss goes to a rock ledge overlooking a valley where she finds Gale. He has bread and Katniss pulls out the cheese that Prim left and they eat it along with berries. Gale and Katniss look alike with their straight black hair, olive skin, and gray eyes. They are not related, but most who live in the Seam look this way except Prim and her mother, who have light hair and blue eyes. Gale says that they could leave the distict and live in the woods if they didn't have so many people to take care of. Katniss is irritated because the idea of leaving is perposterous. There is nothing romantic between Katniss and Gale but she is jealous of the way other girls talk about Gale because good hunting partners are hard to find. They leave their fishing poles at the lake and go and gather in the woods. They end up with a dozen fish, a bag of greens, and a gallon of strawberries. Before they head home they go to the Hob, the black market in a abandoned warehouse. They trade fish for bread and salt, and Greasy Sae, the old woman who sells soup, exchanges greens for paraffin. They go to the mayor's house to sell half of the strawberries. His daughter, Madge, opens the door and is dressed nicely for reaping day. Madge and Katniss are usually stuck together at school since neither really have a group of friends. Gale said that she had a pretty dress and Madge makes a harmless statement about how if she goes to the Capitol she wants to look nice. Gales tells her she won't because she has so few entries in the reaping. Madge gives Katniss the money and they leave. She doesn't like how Gale took a dig at Madge but she knows Gale is right. At age 12, you get your name entered once and and at 13, twice. Every year you get another entry. For everyone in each of the 12 districts in their country, Panem, it is the same. But if you are poor and starving, you can get the tesserae in exchange for another entry. Each tesserae is a year's worth of oil and grain for one person. You can do this for every member of the family. The entries are cummulative. So at the age of 12, Katniss had four entries. This year at the age of 16, she has twenty entries. Gale who is eighteen with a family of five, has forty-two entries. So with how things work, it is hard to be angry with those who don't need to take the tesserae. They divide their spoils and head home. Prim and her mother are getting ready and have set a dress out for Katniss to wear. At one o'clock, they head for the town square. The square is surrounded by camera crews and banners. People file into the square and the 12 through 18 year old are herded into a roped off area with the oldest in the front. As the square begins to fill District 12's population of eight-thousand, the kids focus on the stage in front of the Justice building. It has three chairs, a podium, and two giant glass balls with names of the boys and girls. Mayor Undersee, a tall balding man, and Effie Trinket, District 12's escort with pink hair and a spring green suit fill two of the chairs. The clock strikes two and the mayor reads the history of Panem, formerly North America. Their was a brutal war and what was left after, was a Capitol with thirteen districts. Later the Dark Days came, an uprising against the Capitol. Twelve districts were defeated and the thirteenth destroyed. In punishment for the Dark Days were the Hunger Games. Every year, each district provides one boy and one girl, called tributes. The twenty-four tributes will be put in a arena and must fight to the death.The last tribute standing wins. Taking the kids and forcing them to kill each other while the Capitol watches is how they say that the districts are at their mercy and there is nothing they can do about it. They are forced to treat the Hunger Games as a festivity. The last tribute alive gets a life of ease at home and the district is showered with gifts, mostly food. The mayor reads the past victors and District 12 has had two in seventy-four years. The only one alive is Haymitch Abernathy. He is a paunchy, middle-aged man. He staggers onto the stage and sits in the third chair. He is drunk and is usually always this way. Effie Trinket goes to the podium and talks about what an honor it is to be at District 12. She goes to the bowl that holds the girls' names and picks out a slip of paper. It is not Katniss. It is Prim Everdeen.

THG Chapter 2

Katniss is stunned. She has no idea how this could've happened. She didn't allow Prim to take the tesserae so she had one slip of paper in thousands. Katniss shoves Prim behind her says that she voulunteers as a tribute in Prim's place. Everyone is shocked and confused. The mayor tells her to come forward. Prim protests hysterically and Gale lifts Prim off her and tells Katniss to go up on stage in a voice he's fighting to keep steady. Effie, upbeat as always, asks her name and tells the audience to give her a big round of applause. The crowd is silent and instead puts their three middle of fingers to their lips then out toward her. It is an old a rare gesture of respect, admiration, and goodbye to someone you love. Katniss is in danger of crying but Haymitch stumbles up and says she has spunk and then he falls off the stage and is unconscious. Effie pulls out the paper with the boy tribute and it is Peeta Mellark. He is of medium height, stocky build, and ashy blond hair. While the mayor reads the Treaty of Treason, Katniss thinks about why having to fight Peeta Mellark is not a good thing. It was after her father died and her mother wouldn't do anything. She would just sit there. The family was starving and Katniss had to step up to the head of the household so they wouldn't be taken to the community home. She wasn't old enough to take the tesserae and they were going to starve if Katniss couldn't find food. Katniss was trying to sell baby clothes in the market, nobody would buy them so she was looking in trash cans for something. She came to the baker's backyard and looked in the trash, but it was bare. The baker's wife came out screaming for her to leave and when she was putting to lid back she saw a boy. She recognized him from school but she didn't know his name. She heard a clatter and the sound of a blow the boy came out. He had two loaves of burnt bread with him and his mother yelled at him to feed it to the pigs. There was a red welt across his face and he tore off tiny chunks and put it in the pig trough. He took a look toward to bakery and then threw the loaves in her direction. The boy then went back inside. Katniss put the hot loaves under her shirt and walked home. She scraped off the burnt parts then made her mother and Prim sit to eat the loaf with tea. The next morning, she wonders if the boy burnt them on purpose so he could give them to her. She saw him at school but he didn't acknowledge her. Later, she sees him staring at her and when she looks away, she sees a dandelion. She thinks of her father and what he taught her in the woods and knows how they're going to survive. Ever since, she can't forget the connection between him and the hope that they'd survive. She feels like she owes him something, but doesn't see how she can thank him when she is supposed to be killing him. The mayor finishes reading and Peeta and Katniss shake hands. She thinks the odds of someone else killing him first so she doesn't have to, but the odds have not been in her favor lately.

THG Chapter 3
Katniss and Peeta are marched by the Peacekeepers to the Justice Building. They are each put into a seperate room and for the next hour, they'll say goodbye to their loved ones. Her mother and Prim come in first and for a few minutes they say nothing. Then Katniss tells them things they must remember to do. Prim is not to take tesserae. They can get by if they sell Prim's goat milk and cheese, the small apothecary business Katniss's mother runs, and Gale will bring herbs and game to them. Katniss and Gale both made a pact that if either of them are chosen, they'll make sure the other's family eats. She gives instructions about fuel, trading, and staying in school. She tells her mother she can't leave again. She can't leave Prim on her own. No matter what she sees on the screen. Prim says she'll be okay and tells Katniss that she has to take care too and try to win. Katniss doesn't think she can but because of Prim, she knows she must try. The Peacekeepers come and they say their goodbyes. The next person is Peeta Mellark's father. He gives her cookies. They sit in silence until a Peacekeeper comes and he tells her that he'll keep an eye on Prim and make sure she's eating. The next guest is Madge. She asks Katniss if she'll wear her pin because you are allowed to wear one thing from your district in the arena. It is a small bird in flight. She promises she'll wear it in the arena. Madge gives her a kiss on the cheek and then leaves. The next person is Gale. He opens his arms and she goes into them. They discuss weapons and the past arenas how she can beat them because she has had real practice in the woods. The Peacekeepers come back too soon and they take Gale away. She's driven from the Justice Building to the train station. The station is swarming with reporters and cameras. She sees Peeta, who has obviously been crying and not trying to hide it. They get on the train and the speed takes her breath away. The journey to the Capitol will take less than a day. In school, they are told the Capitol is built in a place once called the Rockies and District 12 is in a region known as Appalachia. The tribute train has a bedroom, a dressing area, and private bathroom for each tribute. Katniss showers and puts on a dark green shirt and pants from the dresser. She puts Madge's pin on her shirt and looks at the detail. It is a small golden mockingjay. They are birds that are somewhat of a slap in the face to the Capitol. During the rebellion, the Capitol genetically engineered male birds called jabberjays that had the ability to memorize and repeat whole human conversations. Once people realized the birds and their abilities, they fed the Capitol false information. Then the birds were left to die in the wild but they breeded with mockingbirds instead. This created a new species called a mockingjay that could replicate bird whistles and human melodies. Her father used to sing songs to them and they would repeat them back. Katniss never continued to the practice, but having the birds in the woods is a comfort to her. Effie collects her for supper and it is nothing like she has ever seen. It is delicious and Effie makes a comment about how last year's pair had no table manners. This makes Katniss angry, so she makes a point to finish the rest of the meal with her fingers. After the meal, they go into another compartment to watch a recap of the reapings across Panem. Some stand out like a huge boy from District 2, a fox-faced girl with red hair from District 5, and a boy with a crippled foot from District 10. Another is a twelve-year-old girl from District 11 with dark brown skin and eyes. She reminds Katniss of Prim. Lastly, is District 12. After it is over, Effie talks about how Haymitch needs to learn how to present himself. Peeta says that he was drunk and is always drunk. Haymitch then enters the compartment, asks about supper, vomits on the carpet and falls into it.

THG Chapter 4

Katniss and Peeta pick up Haymitch and carry him to his compartment and put him in the tub. Peeta says he'll take care of it Katniss offers to send someone to help but Peeta says he doesn't want them to help. Katniss ponders what kind of person Peeta is and decides to have as little as possible to do with him. She takes the cookies that his father gave her and throws them out the window. They fall into patch of dandelions and she thinks of the day when she saw the dandelion and knew hope wasn't lost. The day after Peeta gave her the bread, she took Prim into the Meadow and the scrounged for a mile until their buckets were full. Her mother had a book with pictures and names and uses of various plants. The next day, she went into the woods alone for the first time. She killed a rabbit and took it home and her mother skinned it and made a stew before going back to bed. Each day, she'd go further and further into the woods. The when she turned 12, she went to the Justice Building and signed up for tesserae. Katniss Eventually trade at the Hob and used the tricks her father told her and a few of her own. Her mother eventually came out of her stupor but Katniss didn't forgive her as easily as Prim put a wall between them. She stares out the window and wonders what her mother and Prim are doing now. She gets homesick and goes to sleep. Effie Trinket wakes her up and she gets dressed. Haymitch and Peeta are sitting at the table with Haymitch laughing and Peeta looking embarrassed. Katniss looks at Haymitch and he is pouring liquor into his his juice. Katniss is irritated with Haymitch and thinks he will be no help. She tells him that he is supposed to give them advice. He says to stay alive, Peeta lashes out and knocks the glass from Haymitch's hand. Haymitch punches Peeta in the jaw and reaches for more liquor but Katniss grabs her knife and drives it into the space between the bottle and his hand. Haymitch sits and looks at them. Peeta puts ice on his jaw put Haymitch tells him to let it show so it looks like he got into a fight with another tribute. It is against the rules, but only if you are caught. Haymitch asks if Katniss can hit anything else with a knife and she throws it into the wall. He's impressed and he says if they don't interfere with his drinking, he'll stay sober enough to help them. Katniss tries to ask a question, but Haymitch instead tells them that in a few minutes they'll be in the hands of the stylists and whatever they do, don't resist it. He leaves with a bottle of liqour.They arrive in the Capitol and Peeta, unlike Katniss, is waving and smiling at the crowds. Katniss realizes she misjudged him and thinks that she might need to watch her back.

THG Chapter 5
Katniss is having her legs waxed by a woman with aqua hair and gold tatoos,Venia. Her prep team speak with ridiculous high-pitched Capitol accents with their mouths barely open. Katniss has been in the Remake Center for over three hours and still hasn't seen her stylist. They've stripped her body of hair, scrubbed her body down with gritty foam, and turned her nails into perfect shapes. Her hair is the only thing they've left alone. There are two others there, Flavius with orange corkscrew hair and Octavia, a plump woman with skin of pea green. Katniss pretends to be grateful and it wins them over. They are done and her stylist, Cinna, comes in. He is different from the rest if the people of the Capitol. He has short, brown hair, simple black shirt and pants, light metallic gold eyeliner, and no Capitol accent. After examining her, he tells her she can put on her robe and they sit at couch. He pushes a button and lunch comes for them. Katniss thinks about how easy it is to get food here and how hard it would be to have even a poor imitation of what they are eating back at home. Cinna sees her and knows she must be thinking how despicable they are to her. She says nothing but that is what she thinks. Cinna talks about how he and Peeta's stylist, Portia, designed their costumes. Katniss prepares for the worst since the costume is supposed to reflect the district's industry, coal. The past costumes have always been dreadful. Cinna smiles and asks her if she is afraid of fire. A few hours later, she is dressed in a full black unitard from ankle to neck with leather boots up to her knees. She also has a cape and headpiece that are orange, yellow, and red. Cinna is going to light them with synthetic fire when they are ready. Katniss has her hair in a braid with little makeup. Cinna wants her to be recognized as the girl who was on fire. She sees Peeta dressed in an identical outfit and is relieved to see him despite what she thinks his plan to win is. Peeta and Katniss are directed to their chariot that is guided by coal black horses. Peeta and Katniss are both extremely nervous and talk about their costumes and where Haymitch is. They go on a twenty minute ride into the City Circle where they'll be welcomed and escorted to the Training Center. They watch the other tributes go into the crowd and then it's their turn. Cinna lights their costumes and tells them to smile and keep their heads up. He gets off the chariot and as the music blasts he tells them to hold hands. They enter the city and Katniss sees herself and Peeta on the screen; they both look glorious. She gains confidence and smiles and waves to the people. The crowd shouts their names and are throwing flowers at them. Katniss feels a flicker of hope and thinks she might have a chance if she can get a sponsor. They enter the City Circle and President Snow welcomes the tributes. The entrances of the tributes are being shown on a screen and Katniss and Peeta are getting most of the airtime. They enter the Training center and are greeted by the prep team and stylists. The other tributes are giving them dirty looks for outshining them. Portia extinguishes to flame and Katniss lets go of Peeta's hand. Peeta compliments her and since she thinks he is planning how to kill her, she kisses his cheek on the bruise.

THG Chapter 6

Each district has its own floor at the training center, and naturally, District 12 is level twelve. They go up to their floor on a fast elevator that Katniss wishes she could ride up and down again and again. Effie will continue to escort Peeta and Katniss through into the arena, which Katniss is thankful for since she doesn't trust Haymitch to be dependable. Since the two made such a good first impression, Effie is thrilled and compliments them, and says how she's responded to the media, that if you put enough pressure on it, coal turns into pearls. Peeta and Katniss don't mention to her that that's wrong. Haymitch is the only person that can get sponsors for Katniss and Peeta, and Effie assures them she will get him to do it, even at gunpoint. Katniss takes a shower and finds an outfit she likes. Then she goes to dinner, where Peeta, Cinna, Portia,and Effie are waiting. Haymitch comes in cleaned up and a little more sober. They have dinner, and a girl brings in a cake that's been lit on fire and it eventually burns out. Katniss asks the girl if there is alcohol in it, looks up to see the girl's red hair and striking features, and Katniss says she knows her. The girl shakes her head fearfully and leaves. The adults protest that Katniss can't know her, because she is an Avox. Katniss asks what and Avox is, and Haymitch tells her it is someone who's committed a crime and has had their tongue cut out. He says she is probably a traitor. The adults are still worried about Katniss knowing an Avox, so Peeta steps in and says how much the Avox reminds him of Delly Cartwright back home, a girl who in reality looks nothing like the Avox. Everyone relaxes. They eat the cake and go to the sitting room to watch the recap of the opening ceremonies. Haymitch asks whose idea the hand-holding was and Portia tells him it was Cinna's. Haymitch says it was the perfect touch of rebellion. Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta that they'll start training tomorrow and he'll tell them what he wants them to do. Then he sends them away so the grown-ups can talk. Peeta walks with Katniss to her room, then notes on the surprise of finding Delly Cartwright's look-a-like here. Katniss struggles, wanting to tell Peeta, but worries this will make them friends. Peeta picks up on her hesitance and suggests they go up to the roof, where the wind is so strong no one could hear them. They go up to the roof where they can see the city below them. Peeta tells Katniss what Cinna told him about the force field around the roof.  The force field throws the jumper back on the roof, so no one can commit suicide. Peeta invites Katniss to see the garden. There's enough wind chimes to drown them out. Katniss tells Peeta about how she and Gale were hunting one day and the birds stopped singing. They saw a boy and a girl in tattered clothes running for their lives. A hovercraft appeared. It snatched up the girl in a net and speared the boy, hauling him up. Then it disappeared. Katniss laments not saving the girl. Peeta notices she's shivering and gives her his jacket. He asks if they were from the Capitol, and Katniss nods, telling the reader they had a Capitol look about them. Peeta wonders where they were going, and Katniss isn't sure. District 12 is the end of Panem, except for the still-smoldering District 13 the Capitol blew up. Peeta says he'd leave the Capitol as well, even if the food was prime. Peeta brings up Gale, wondering if he and Katniss were related. Katniss tells them they aren't. Peeta asks if Gale said good-bye, and Katniss tells him that not only did Gale come, but also Peeta's father. Peeta's surprised by this, but Katniss doesn't hold it to much merit since she just saw him lie so smoothly. He says that his father likes Katniss and Prim, that he always wanted a daughter. Katniss is surprised she'd ever been discussed in the bakery. Peeta continues to say that his father knew her mother growing up, and Katniss politely says that her mother grew up in town, not saying the baker had never been mentioned. They go back inside, Katniss gives Peeta his jacket. The Avox girl is cleaning up, and Katniss asks her to take her outfit to Cinna. The girl leaves and Katniss wonders if she remembers her.  Katniss is sure she does, and wonders if she will enjoy watching Katniss die.

THG Chapter 7

Katniss wakes up in the Capitol from nightmares. She showers and puts on an outfit left out for her. At breakfast she thinks about her family back home, and what they're doing. Haymitch and Peeta come in, and Katniss is irritated to find that Peeta has on the same outfit as her. Haymitch asks the two of them if they want to be coached separately or alone. They decide to be coached together, since they already know one another's strengths. When Haymitch asks Katniss what she can do and she gives him a humble version, Peeta tells Haymitch how well Katniss can shoot. Katniss gets suspicious, and tells Haymitch about Peeta's strength and how he came in second at wrestling, only to his brother. Peeta tells Katniss that his mother said Katniss would win. Katniss reminds him she's only alive because someone helped her. Peeta's response is that people will help her in the arena, and that "she has no idea. The effect she can have." Katniss takes this that he thinks she's weak and was pitied. Haymitch tells the two of them to stay away from their strengths during training and to save that for the Gamemakers. He also tells them that in public, they are to appear as friends and overrides their protests. Katniss is angry, because they can't be friends where they're going and leaves to her room. At ten in the morning, she goes down to the training center with Effie and Peeta. There are experts of various skills to teach what they know to the tributes. Katniss assesses herself against the competition. She is smaller than all of the Careers, but she takes comfort in that she's strong and her resourcefulness over the years will help her. The tributes from 1, 2, and 4 are traditionally the Careers, meaning the children who have trained their whole lives for The Hunger Games. Sizing them up again, she is less confident than before. Peeta asks her which station she wants to go to. They go to the knots. They go to camouflage next, where it is apparent that Peeta excels at this. He explains to Katniss that he's the one that decorates the cakes at home. Katniss would take Prim to see them in the past, since there wasn't much beauty in District 12. Katniss wonders how Peeta could get such excellent lighting in the camouflage, since he never went past the fence. They go on like this for three days, learning new skills and acting as friends. Peeta is excellent at hand-to-hand combat. The Gamemakers show up the first day in purple robes. They observe the tributes, write notes, consult with the trainers, and eat. Katniss notices that they have a special eye for her and Peeta. They eat breakfast and dinner at their floor, but they eat lunch at the training center. She and Peeta each lunch together, to appear as friends. It is hard for them to find a comfortable topic. Peeta tells Katniss about the breads from the different districts. Katniss tells Peeta about a time a bear chased her when she challenged it for a beehive. The second day, Peeta notices Rue following them. Katniss thinks of how much she's like Prim. At District 12's floor, Haymitch and Effie grill Peeta and Katniss about their day and give them tips. Katniss is irritated at them. When Peeta makes Katniss laugh, she asks that they don't pretend to be friends. The third day is when the tributes are to get their scores from the Gamemakers. They are called by District from 1 to 12, boy first and then the girl. Peeta and Katniss keep up their friends act, but are quiet when they are alone. Before Peeta goes in Katniss reminds him to throw the weights. Peeta tells her to shoot straight and he goes in. After fifteen minutes, it's Katniss' turn. She enters and finds that the Gamemakers are uninterested and mostly drunk. Katniss gets her bow and arrows, but they are different so she misses her target. The attention she had is lost. She regains herself and puts on an excellent display of shooting, rolling on her shoulder and sending sparks coming down from the lights. But the Gamemakers are uninterested. They only have eyes for the suckling pig coming out. Katniss is angry that they don't pay attention to her when her life is on the line.   She shoots an arrow toward the Gamemakers, in the pig's mouth where an apple lie. One Gamemaker falls back in the punch bowl. She excuses herself and leaves.

THG Chapter 8

Katniss goes up the elevator and into her room. She is upset with herself for what she did. She wonders what they will do, perhaps arrest her, kill her, make her an Avox. She worries about her family, if they'll be hurt for what she did. Effie and Haymitch try and get her to come out, but she refuses. She expects to get a low score as punishment, or that guards will come to get her. She does got out for dinner when called. Cinna and Portia are there. Peeta gives her a look asking what happened, but she shakes her head. Haymitch then demands to know what happened. Peeta steps in and says that the Gamemakers were singing a drinking song when he was there and didn't pay attention, so he just threw some heavy objects until they told him to leave. Haymitch then asks Katniss what she did. Katniss tells them how she shot the arrow at the Gamemakers and dismissed herself. She asks what will be done to her. Haymitch says it would be too much of a trouble to replace her now, so she'll more than likely just get hell in the arena. Katniss asks about her family. Haymitch assures her it would be too much trouble for the Capitol to go through. Katniss is much happier now. Haymitch laughs and asks what their faces looked like. Katniss explains it, and everyone but Effie laughs, although she smiles. Effie says they should have paid attention to her. Katniss laments that she will probably get a low score. Portia assures her some use that strategy, so her score won't matter as much. Peeta expects to get a four. After dinner, they go to see the scores. Peeta received an eight. Katniss got an eleven. Cinna congratulates her and says she should just wait to see her interview dress. Katniss asks if there are more flames, and Cinna replies "of a sort." They go to bed. The next day is Sunday, and Katniss thinks about home and what Gale would be doing. She thinks about when they first met, six months after she had been struggling on her own with her family. Katniss sees a rabbit in a trap and goes to see how the knots are done. Gale catches her, expecting she was trying to steal his food. He asks her name and she replies so low he think she said "Catnip". She says her name is Katniss and that she just wanted to see how he did the snares. He asks where she got the squirrel and she explains that she shot it. He asks to see her bow and she reminds him stealing is punishable by death, which makes him smile, although it took months for her to smile at him. They decide to exchange a bow and a lesson on plants for lessons on snares and fishing. Eventually, they became partners and friends. He gave her security and sometimes with him, Katniss was happy. She misses him, and wonders if he misses her. Katniss compares her relationship with him to her relationship with Peeta. She could trust Gale, but not Peeta. She admits this is not fair, since the situations are very different. Effie wakes her up and at breakfast Effie, Haymitch, and Peeta are talking quietly in a huddle. Katniss asks if they're going over interviews today. Haymitch says they are. Katniss tells them to go, she can eat and listen at the same time. Haymitch tells her then that Peeta has asked to be coached separately.

THG Chapter 9
The first thing Katniss feels is betrayal. She realizes a part of her couldn't help but trust Peeta. Then she decides it's for the best, since they would have to kill one another in a few days. They will each spend four hours with Effie on presentation and four with Haymitch on content. Katniss is first with Effie. She has to walk in high heels in a long dress, she can't lift her skirt above her ankle, and she practices her posture. Effie tells her to act like she likes the audience and when Katniss says she can't, Effie shows her how easy it is to smile even when one is frustrated, as Effie smiled even though she was frustrated with Katniss. She responds by hiking her skirt up to her thighs to go to lunch. Peeta and Haymitch seem happy, so Katniss hopes working on content with be easier. Haymitch tries to figure out how Katniss will present herself. She asks what Peeta is doing. Haymitch tells her he is being "likeable" although Katniss can't do this because she's so hostile. They go through and try to find her style, but they can't find it. Haymitch gives up and asks Katniss just not show how much she hates them. Katniss has dinner in her room that night, and ends up smashing all of the dishes in frustration. The Avox girl comes into clean it up, and Katniss yells at her to leave it alone. But the Avox girl gets a moist towel and wipes Katniss' face and washes her hands of blood. Katniss tells her she should have saved her. The Avox shakes her head and points to her chest, saying that if that had happened, Katniss would be like her. They clean up and the Avox girl tucks her in. The next day Katniss is worked on again for the interview. Her dress had gems going up the sides in patterns of flames. She twirls for Cinna in the dress. He asks if she is ready for the interview. Katniss admits she isn't, but she's always hostile. Cinna suggests she talk as if she is talking to a friend. When Katniss can't think of anyone she would be answering such questions to, Cinna suggests she pretend she is talking to him and to be herself. Katniss meets the rest of the District 12 team before going down. The tributes are lined up to go down the stage. Haymitch reminds them to still act the "happy couple". They go on stage at the City Circle as the lights go down and the interviews begin. Caesar Flickerman is the interviewer, as he has been for at least the past forty years. He has a midnight blue suit with electric lights he's worn every year. He has powder blue lips, eyes, and eyes. The interviews begin and Caesar is clearly an excellent host, making everyone shine. Each interview lasts only three minutes. When Rue goes up for her interview, she is wearing a gown and wings. She tells the audience that if they can't catch her, they can't kill her, so she shouldn't be ruled out as a contender. After Thresh, it's Katniss' turn. Caesar asks her favorite part of the Capitol and she replied the lamb stew. She raves about her outfits and on Cinna's command twirls and continues on Caesar's wish. The audience adores it. When asked about her score, Katniss refuses to say, and the Gamemakers agree. Then Caesar asks about her sister, Prim. Katniss tells about her and how much she loves her. She says that she swore to Prim she would come home. The buzzer goes off. Katniss is in a daze for Peeta's interview, but he does well and gets laughs out of the audience as he compares tributes to bread and tells the perils of Capitol showers. Caesar asks if there is a girl back home and Peeta gives an unconvincing shake of the head. Caesar prompts more and Peeta admits he likes a girl. Caesar then sets up the scenario where Peeta wins and comes home, how she couldn't turn him down then. Peeta says that winning won't help in his case. When Caesar asks why, Peeta responds, "because she came here with me."

THG Chapter 10
Katniss realizes that Peeta's declaration was pointed at her. She blushes and looks at the floor, trying to hide her emotions. Caesar responds sympathetically to Peeta, and asks the crowd if they'd like to hear Katniss' response, but this is not allowed. Peeta takes his seat next to Katniss for the anthem. The camera holds the attention on the two of them more than anyone else. Katniss avoids Peeta in the car and the elevator. On the twelfth floor when Peeta comes out of his elevator Katniss slams her palms against his chest, causing him to lose his balance. He falls back against an urn that breaks and causes his hands to get cut up. Peeta is shocked and Katniss tells him he had no right to say he loved her. Effie, Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia come in. They express concern for Peeta, who tells them Katniss shoved him. Haymitch is upset at her, and Katniss accuses Haymitch for what Peeta said. Peeta says that he was the one to think of it, Haymitch only helped. Katniss is still angry, and Haymitch tells her that Peeta's helped her look desirable and everyone loves the star-crossed lovers of District 12. Katniss protests that they aren't star-crossed lovers, but Haymitch says it isn't important what is, only what is perceived. Cinna supports what Haymitch said, although Katniss believes she should have been told. Peeta accuses Katniss of only being worried about her boyfriend, referring to Gale, which makes Katniss blush and say she doesn't have a boyfriend. Peeta then reminds her that she didn't have to say she loved him, so it didn't really matter. Katniss begins to see the advantage of this declaration. She asks if it looked like she could have loved him. Portia says it did and the others agree. Katniss apologizes for shoving Peeta, and he graciously waves it off. They go to dinner, but Portia has to take Peeta to be bandaged. Katniss feels guilty since they will be in the arena the next day. They watch the recap of the interviews and Katniss thinks she seems foolish, although everyone else says she is charming. Peeta's declaration has made the night, though, and Katniss is unforgettable. Effie and Haymitch will be leaving soon afterwards to hopefully be signing for sponsors. Effie says good-bye, and says that maybe next year she'll be promoted to a decent district. Peeta asks for final words of advice from Haymitch. He tells the two of them to get out of the Cornucopia as soon as possible, find water, and stay alive. Katniss showers and climbs into bed. She worries about the next day, wondering what the arena will be like. She can't sleep, so she gets up and goes up to the roof. Peeta is there. Katniss tells him he should sleep. He responds by telling her that he didn't want to miss the party going on below them, since it was for them. Peeta tells Katniss that he's never been a contender in the Games, and she says he shouldn't be thinking like that. He says that his only hope is not to disgrace himself and die as himself. Katniss doesn't understand. He explains that he doesn't want to turn into some monster he's not. Katniss feels inferior and asks if he'll kill anyone. Peeta says he will, but he wants to show the Capitol he's more than a piece in their games. Katniss wonders why he cares, and he tells her he had nothing else to care about. Katniss tells him to worry about staying alive. He sarcastically thanks her for the tip. Katniss is upset and says he can die nobly in the arena, but she wants to die in District 12. Peeta says he wouldn't be surprised if she did, and asks that she give his mother the best. Katniss says to "count on it". Katniss suspects Peeta will become like Titus, a tribute who would eat the others he killed but was taken out in an avalanche. The next morning Cinna gets Katniss and they go on a hovercraft to the arena. They insert a tracker into Katniss. She eats breakfast. They end up in the Launch Room, where she'll be preparing to leave. All of the arenas become tourist destinations, as this one will become. Her outfit comes, undergarments, simple tawny pants, light green blouse, a brown belt, and a thin hooded black jacket that goes down to her thighs. Cinna tells her that the jacket is designed to reflect body heat, so to expect cool nights. Cinna brings out the mockingjay pin Madge gave her, which just passed through, unlike the ring the girl from District 1 tried to slip through that had a poisoned spike on it. Cinna and Katniss hold one another's hand until they announce it's time to launch. Cinna reminds her to run, find food and water. He says that if he had to bet on anyone, it would be on her. He gives her a kiss on the forehead and wishes her luck. A cylinder goes down over Katniss. Cinna taps his fingers under his chin, signaling for her to keep her head up. Katniss lifts up her head and begins to rise. She takes in the strong wind and smell of pine trees. The announcer, Claudius Templesmith, announces the beginning the the 74th Hunger Games.

THG Chapter 11
The tributes are required to stand on the metal circles for sixty seconds before a gong releases them. In the middle of the tributes is the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn with a curved tail, the mouth of it containing supplies. Strew over the Cornucopia are supplies, their value increasing the closer to the Cornucopia one gets. To Katniss' right there is a lake and to her left some pine woods.  She knows Haymitch would want her to leave and find water, but she's tempted when seeing the supplies to stay. Then she sees the bow and arrows. She thinks she can sprint and get it, since Haymitch never saw her run. She positions to run, but Peeta catches her eye and he shakes his head. She hesitates and it's too late, the gong has rung. Katniss lunges and scoops up a plastic sheet and some break. She goes for an orange backpack that the boy from District 9 goes for. They fight for a little, but then he coughs blood on her face. He's had a knife thrown in him by the girl from District 2 and Katniss is next. Katniss puts the backpack on and covers her head as she runs into the trees. The girl from District 2 throws a knife at her, but it just stick in her backpack. Katniss lost her bread but has her plastic. Katniss goes on, looking for water, but can't find any.  She is thankful when she sees a rabbit. Late afternoon and the cannons go off, since the fighting has stopped at the Cornucopia. There are eleven dead. Katniss wonders if Peeta is one of them. She thinks it might be better if he's dead, because then she won't have to kill him. Katniss stops to go through her pack. She hopes for water, but doesn't find any, just an empty container. There is also a sleeping bag, crackers, beef strips, iodine, matches, wire, and sunglasses.  Katniss wonders if the only water there is is the lake, but remembers the rabbit, who also had to drink. Katniss continues down into the valley. Rather than waste resources, she eats pine inner bark. She sets up two wire snares, then picks a tree. She selects a willow in a clump of others. She finds a sturdy fork for a bed, goes into her sleeping bag and straps herself in with her belt. The anthem plays.  The tributes see faces, while the rest of Panem would see the deaths, of those who passed on. The faces go by and Peeta is not among them. The dead tributes are the girl from 3, the boy from 4, which is surprising since he was a Career, the boy from 5, both from 6 and 7, the boy from 8, both from 9, and the girl from 10.  A girl builds a fire by Katniss, which makes her worried someone will come. She thinks about killing the girl from 3 herself, then she hears the Careers, the girl pleading, and then the Careers congratulating themselves. Katniss can hear them clearing out, but the hovercraft doesn't come and the cannon doesn't fire. One says that she's dead, and they argue, until someone says that he'll just go and finish her off. It's Peeta.

THG Chapter 12
Katniss is so shocked that Peeta's with the Careers that she's fallen sideways, facing the ground, strapped into the tree and her sleeping bag. Peeta goes off to finish the girl. Katniss is abhorred that Peeta would align with the Careers, who are the worst tributes out there. She realizes that he wasn't as noble as he'd been acting. While he's gone the Careers say they let him come because he's their best chance of finding her. Peeta comes back and they move on. Katniss wonders if Peeta is keeping her skills secret to keep him alive, and if he's pretending to love her still for the audience. She doesn't understand what he's thinking. The birds fall silent and a hovercraft comes to pick the girl up. Katniss gets out of her sleeping bag and packs up. When she drops to the ground, she remains in control of her face and emotions, to look like she is on top of the game. She stops then and gives a knowing smile. Katniss checks her snares and gets a rabbit. Katniss cleans and guts the animal, then uses the leftover coals from the girl's fire the night before to cook it. She camouflages her orange backpack, but knows mud would be helpful. She has to go find water. Katniss goes on, thinking about what Claudius Templesmith must be saying with his guest commentators, trying to dissect her reaction and Peeta's thinking. She wonders if they have sponsors. Katniss puts rabbit grease on her lips and tries to keep from panting, but she's dehydrated. Since water runs downhill, she continues down the valley. But Katniss is very dehydrated now. Katniss sees some berries, but doesn't recognize them, and so she doesn't eat them, although it is difficult for her to do. Katniss stops to rest more often. She climbs trees to look for signs of water, but doesn't find any. Night falls, and Katniss settles down again, sucking on a rabbit bone. The only one dead is the girl from 8, the one Peeta finished off. In the morning Katniss' mind is foggy and her body is sluggish. She isn't moving cautiously or urgently as she should. Katniss then remembers that Haymitch could send her water. So she says "water" expecting something. Nothing comes. Katniss knows she must have some sponsors, so it must be Haymitch that is keeping the water from her. She wonders if he's drunk or meaning to keep water from her. Katniss is in despair now, but realizes maybe Haymitch is sending her a message, that maybe she's already found it. So Katniss gets up and keeps on going. She's so weak anyone could take her out, even Rue. Katniss thinks of Prim, wondering if she's watching her sister die of thirst. And so for her, she tries not to look as desperate as she feels. Katniss struggles on, falling, getting back, up, and falling again. Katniss doesn't believe Haymitch was really sending her any type of message at all. Katniss thinks that the place where she's fallen is a nice place to die. She smells lilies and makes swirling patterns in mud. She thinks of how she loves mud, then realizes where there's mud, there's water. She drags herself to the scent of the lilies and finds a pond. She gets her flask and fills it with water. She puts the iodine in it and waits, then slowly drinks the water. She eats, the anthem plays with no deaths, and looks forward to the next day. She goes to sleep, holding onto her water. A few hours later, the stampede of feet shake her awake, and she sees the wall of fire coming down on her.

THG Chapter 13
Katniss fumbles out of her sleeping bag and does a rushed packing job. She flees.  Fire and smoke come up, at an unnatural height. Katniss follows the animals, trusting their sense of direction. Katniss lifts her sweat-soaked shirt over her mouth to ventilate from the smoke. Katniss knows that this fire is from the Gamemakers, so they probably won't kill anyone, just drive them together. After all, it is much more exciting to watch children kill each other. Katniss tries to jump over a burning log, but her jacket gets caught on fire so she has to stop to stamp it out. She shoves it in her sleeping bag and runs. The smoke makes it harder for her to breathe. She finds cover under a stone outcropping and vomits up her meal. After she's done, she gives herself one minute to collect herself. She drinks some water, packs a little more neatly, then goes out again. She's lost her animal compasses, who have fled away. She wonders where the Gamemakers are driving her to. But she knows the fire can't continue, that would make the audience bored. She begins to plan a circuitous route to avoid the Careers, but then the fireballs come hurtling down. She flattens herself to the ground to avoid one. Katniss continues to avoid being hit, although she knows her life is all up to someone in a control room. Having watched the Games all her life, Katniss knows certain parts of the arena are rigged for certain attacks. She knows if she gets far away enough, she'll be safe. The attacks begin to slow. Katniss throws up and her eyes are stinging. A fireball takes off six inches of Katniss' braid. Then another fireball scorches Katniss' calf, making her pants go on fire. She stops, drops, and rolls, then rips off the cloth. Her calf is ablaze. She remembers Cinna saying "Katniss, the girl who was on fire" and can't help but think that this must be a great joke to the Gamemakers. But the attack is over, the Gamemakers don't want to kill Katniss. The smoke still thick, so she can't see very well. Katniss is in a spring, so she puts her calf in it and feels relief from her burn. Katniss cleans herself up and tries to remember what she can about burns. Katniss remembers a young man who'd been badly burned in the mines that her mother had treated. While Katniss left, Prim stayed and helped him. But the man died anyway. Katniss finally looks at her calf. It's bright red and covered with blisters, but none is blackened. She knows water is all she'll have to help her burns, she doesn't recall any herbs to help. She gets her gear in order. Her jacket now only covers just to the bottom of her ribs now. She finds some plants to eat and her last bit of rabbit and drinks water. She's so drowsy she drifts off to sleep. When Katniss wakes up, she hears the Careers and gets up to run away. They close in on her, and so she scrambles up a tree. There are five Careers and Peeta at the bottom of the tree. Katniss is confident none of them will be able to get her. Katniss makes a greeting, and invites them to come up where the air is better. One boy says he will, and a girl offers him the bow and arrows. Katniss is furious at Peeta again, because those are her weapons, but he doesn't look at her, he only cleans a knife. Cato, the boy, decides to take his sword. He begins to climb up, but falls back because he's so heavy, while Katniss only climbs higher. The girl with the arrows, Glimmer, tries to climb but she also falls back. She tries to shoot the arrow, but it just sticks next to Katniss. Katniss takes the arrow mockingly in her hand and waves it. The Careers huddle together to discuss what to do. Finally, Peeta exclaims that she's not going anywhere, so they should deal with her in the morning. Katniss finds a fork and settles for bed. She cuts open a slash to let her leg be in the open air. She puts water on the wound as well. Katniss loses her bravado and wonders about the morning. Katniss sees the eyes of an animal in the tree next to her, but realizes it's human eyes. It's Rue. They stare at one another, and then Rue points to something above Katniss' head.

THG Chapter 14

Katniss looks at what Rue is pointing to and recognizes the tracker jacker nest. The tracker jackers are the Capitol's muttations. They have a deadly sting that will raise the skin to a lump the size of a plum and if you get enough, you die. Also, their venom can cause hallucinations. After the rebellion ended, the Capitol left the tracker jackers in the districts, but removed them from the area around the Capitol. Katniss looks to Rue, but she's gone. Katniss thinks and decides to saw off the branch with the tracker jackers to crash on the Careers and Peeta below. To keep from getting attention, Katniss decides to saw during the anthem. While sawing, Katniss realized the tracker jackers are subdued from the smoke. She doesn't make it all the way, however, and decides to wait until morning. When she goes back to her fork, she finds her first gift-burn medicine. She puts it on and finds relief. She falls asleep and wakes up in the morning. The Careers and Peeta are all asleep below her, Glimmer having fallen asleep while on guard. Katniss calls out quietly to Rue and warns her about dropping the nest. Rue disappears, flying through the trees. Katniss climbs back up to the nest and finds a tracker jacker there, groggy but awake. She saws it some more. One stings her knee, but she shoves the nest away before more come. Katniss gets two more stings, and the Careers and Peeta wake up to the nest crashing on them. Some go to the lake, but Glimmer and the girl from District 4 are stung too badly. The nest is empty, and so Katniss scurries down and begins running clumsily because of the venom of the tracker jacker stings. Katniss stops to pull out the stinger, and orange pus oozes out. Katniss doesn't want to think about what Glimmer must look like, and then she remembers the bow. Katniss runs back to get the bow and arrows that will help her. She has to get them before the hovercraft comes to pick up her body. Glimmer's body is bloated and Katniss struggles to get loose the bow and arrows, but is able to eventually. While on the ground, she hears someone crashing through the trees and sees Peeta sparkling in dripping water. He holds a spear. He prods her with it and pushes her and tells her to run. She doesn't understand from the stings, but she hurries away as Cato comes crashing through. Katniss tries to get away, but she eventually falls and stays down. As hallucinations take over, Katniss realizes that Peeta Mellark just saved her life.
THG Chapter 15
Katniss watches nightmares pass her by, until the poison is through her system and she wakes up. It's the afternoon and she's not sure what day it is. She drinks and then has nectar from honeysuckle, which reminds her of Gale and how he proposed to run away. Suddenly she remembers Peeta saved her life, but she doesn't know if it was just the angle he had come up with earlier. With her bow and arrows, Katniss is much more confident. Katniss treats her burns and stings as best she can. She knows there is a leaf for the stings, but she can't remember anything about them. Katniss drinks and hunts. She bathes and gets organized. Katniss moves uphill and shoots a bird. Katniss hears a noise from behind her and sees Rue's boot. Katniss calls out that they aren't the only ones who can make alliances. Rue comes out and is surprised Katniss wants her as an ally. Rue fixes Katniss' stings with some leaves. She carries them because there are a lot of tracker jackers in the orchards she works in. Rue chews the leaves and then puts it on the stings. Katniss feels immediate relief and begs Rue to do the others as well. Katniss fixes Rue's burned arm. Rue says Katniss has good sponsors. Rue hasn't gotten anything yet, but Katniss says that she will once people realize how smart she is. Rue asks again if Katniss really wants her for an ally. Katniss says she does and they shake on it. They share a meal, Katniss providing meat and Rue contributing roots. Rue is thrilled to have a whole leg, and Katniss tells her to take the other. Rue hesitates, but takes it. Katniss is surprised Rue doesn't eat more than she does, because District 11 where Rue is from is agriculture. Rue says no, that they will get whipped if they steal food. Rue asks in return if Katniss gets all the coal she wants. Katniss says only what they pay for and track in. They spread out their food and Rue helps Katniss find what's safe to eat. Katniss thinks about how lucky she is to have Rue for a partner. Rue also shows Katniss how what she thought were sunglasses are actually night vision goggles. Rue tells her that they use them for harvest so they can work into the night, and once a little boy tried to take some home and they killed him. Katniss realizes how District 12 is much better. When it comes to sleep, Katniss lets Rue into her sleeping bag up in the trees. Katniss asks Rue how many nights she missed. Rue tells her two, and that the girls from District 1 and 4 are dead. Ten are left. Katniss tells Rue about how odd it was that Peeta saved her life, even though he was with the Careers and she wasn't sure if it had happened. Rue says that Peeta isn't with them anymore, so he might have helped her. Katniss tells Rue she thinks it's just part of his act to make people think he's in love with her. Rue says she didn't think it was an act, but Katniss tells her it was and Peeta had worked it out with their mentor. They try out the glasses and they work extremely well. Rue lets Katniss know that the Careers have two pairs of the nightvision goggles. Rue laments how strong the Careers. Katniss assures her that the two of them are strong as well. Katniss wonders how the Careers would do without the supplies. Rue tells her that the Careers aren't hungry. Katniss begins to formulate an offensive plan and responds by saying that they'll have to fix that.

THG Chapter 16
Rue snuggles up to Katniss and falls asleep in her arms. Katniss trusts Rue because if she had wanted Katniss dead before, she could have just let the Careers get her. Katniss' thoughts are preoccupied with finding away to get rid of the Career's food supply. Years where the Career's food supply had been ruined was when tributes from other districts usually won. Katniss sleeps. She wakes up to the sound of a cannon booming. She asks Rue who she thinks that was, but Rue doesn't know. They go over who is left; the boy from One, both from Two, the boy from Three, Thresh and Rue, Peeta and Katniss, the boy from Ten, and someone else they can't remember. Rue reveals some eggs for breakfast. They don't cook the eggs in case the Careers find them with the fire. Rue tells Katniss everything she knows about the Career's camp: they camp by the lake with their stash thirty yards away, and the boy from Three watches their supplies by day. The boy only has a spear, but a tribute like Thresh could kill him easily. Katniss is suspicious of this set-up. Katniss learns Rue is the oldest of six children and a protective older sister. She loves music above everything else. Katniss is surprised; she doesn't find music useful. Rue says they sing back at home, and that's why she loves Katniss' pin. Mockingjays carried messages for Rue, a four-note whistle letting everyone know its quitting time. Katniss offers the pin to Rue, but Rue refuses, saying that the pin is what made her trust Katniss. Rue pulls out her own token, a necklace woven from her shirt with a roughly carved wooden star or perhaps a flower on it. Katniss and Rue have a plan by lunch. Katniss helps Rue collect and place wood for the first two campfires, but the third Rue will have time for on her own. They decide to meet up where they first teamed up. Rue teaches Katniss her four-note tune as a signal to know that they're okay. The mockingjays will carry them. When it comes time to part, Rue hugs Katniss. Katniss heads out to the Career's camp, passing where the tracker jacker attack happened. Katniss thinks about how Peeta had sparkled and doubted it ever happened. Katniss finds her way to the copse that Rue used to spy on the Careers. Katniss looks at the group: the boy from One, Cato, the girl from Two, and the boy from Three. Katniss can't remember anything about the small boy from Three. Katniss wonders why the Careers would leave a weakling like him as guard. The supplies are some distance from camp, built in a pyramid and then some scattered around, like it was in the Cornucopia. Netting is over the supplies. Katniss guesses the supplies are booby-trapped in some way. Cato begins pointing to the smoke rising and the Careers get ready to go after the person starting the fire. Cato wants to take the boy from Three, saying his job was done and no one could touch the supplies. When the boy from One asks about Lover Boy, Cato says to forget about him, he remembers where he cut Peeta and it was a miracle he hadn't bled to death. Cato tells the group that when they get to her, he gets to kill her in his own way. Katniss knows he's talking about her. Katniss waits, trying to figure out the supplies. She considers sending a flaming arrow in, but there was no guarantee that it would catch fire. Katniss decides to look closer when someone emerges from the woods-Foxface. She goes to the supplies and places her feet carefully. She does a strange dance to the pyramid and to the supplies. Foxface takes a little bit of supplies from each barrel, not enough to be noticed. Katniss wonders what sort of trap could make Foxface move in such as way, and slowly realized that the the ground was mined. She figures that the boy from Three, who works with electronics, dug up the mines from the beginning platform and reactivated them. Katniss knows she can't go walking in, and sending an arrow in wouldn't help because the mines were set off by pressure. She could throw something in, but that wouldn't guarantee that all the mines would go off. Katniss sees that Rue has started the second fire. Katniss notices a sack of apples. She gives herself three arrows to do the job. The first arrow tears the side of the bag near the top. The second arrow widens it to a hole. The third arrow catches the torn flap of burlap and rips it from the bag. The apples spill out and Katniss is blown back.

THG Chapter 17
Katniss lands on the ground. She can't hear. The apples though have set off the mines with sending debris flying, setting off more mines. After a minute, the ground stops vibrating. Katniss knows she has to get out of there, but when she stands up she's dizzy and is unable to stay standing. Katniss checks her left ear and it comes away bloody. She fears she's gone deaf, but she can't let anyone know. Katniss puts her hood on to make sure there are no blood trails. Katniss begins to crawl. Three stray mines go off. Katniss makes it to the copse just in time of the Careers coming back. Cato pounds the ground and tears out his hair in frustration. Katniss bites her nails, nervous about being in the Career's camp and defenseless. The boy from Three throws stones into the area and claim all the mines have gone off, because they approach the site. Cato yells at the boy from Three, catches him, and breaks his neck. Cato wants to go back in the woods, but the other Careers are pointing to the sky. They think that whoever set off the explosion is dead, but there hasn't been a cannon. That, however, could have been lost in the sound of the mines going off. The boy from Three is picked up and night falls. The anthem shows that the boy from 10 and 3 have died. So the Careers know the one to set off the mines is still alive. The three of them go off into the woods then. Katniss can hear out of her right ear. She decides to stay where she is, since that will be safest. She washes out her bloody ear and eats some roots and berries. She worries about Rue. There are eight tributes left. Katniss makes a blanket of needles and leaves when she remembers Rue has her sleeping bag. She's still cold, but goes to sleep. Katniss wakes up in the morning. She hears a laugh and sees Foxface looking at the blown-up supplies. Foxface finds a few items to use and Katniss considers enlisting her as an ally, but decides against it. She doesn't trust that sly look. Katniss decides to head back to meet Rue. Katniss' right ear stops ringing, but her left still has no ability to hear. She worries about this, and feels a little off-balance. Katniss finds their meeting place but finds it undisturbed by Rue. Katniss decides not to worry, that Rue probably just got held up. She waits for Rue and eats. She goes up in a tree to observe the area. Katniss is still hungry and she knows it will be a hollow day, a day when no matter what you eat you're hungry. Katniss eats and dreams of the Capitol dishes. In the afternoon, Katniss decides to look for Rue. She scatters mint leaves around the area so if Rue shows up, she'll know Katniss was there but it would mean nothing to the Careers. Katniss finds the place where the third fire was to be lit, but the timber is untouched. Katniss wonders if Rue died and she couldn't hear it, but she refuses that thought. Katniss goes searching to help Rue. She hears a mockingjay give Rue's four-note whistle. Katniss follows the birds tune. Then, she hears a young girl's scream, one that could only come from Rue. Katniss hurries to the sound. Rue cries out Katniss' name. Katniss calls back to her. Katniss runs and as she makes it in the clearing, she sees Rue caught up in a net. Rue reaches her hand out to Katniss, calls her name, and then a spear pierces through her body.