CHAPTER 19

Katniss claps her hand over her mouth, but realizes no one heard her. She
realizes the Gamemakers must have changed the rules because they wanted to
play up the star-crossed lovers thing. Peeta must have been working this angle
all along, she decides.
She smiles so the camera can see.
OK, so who is left? Foxface, whose fellow tribute is dead. Thresh, who is from
Rue's district. And then Cato and the girl from District 2. They'll be teaming up
for sure.
In the morning Katniss sets out to find Peeta. Where would he be? Probably the
stream.
Katniss follows the stream until she finds some bloodstains. She calls out
Peeta's name and then suddenly she hears a voice: "You hear to finish me off,
sweetheart?" (19.19).
It's Peeta and he's camouflaged like crazy in the mud and leaves of the stream
bank. That must have been one of his skills. He's also wounded VERY badly.
Katniss starts to help him out of the mud when Peeta whispers to her that
they're supposed to be in love so it's OK for her to kiss him. Katniss laughs.
Katniss washes Peeta off and then tends to his wounds. She digs out the
tracker jacker stingers and applies the leaves like Rue did for her. Next, she
applies the burn cream and then fever reducer.
Then? The wound Cato gave him in his legs. Oozing and festering, it looks
terrible. What to do? She uses some of the leaves to draw the pus out, then
ointment and bandages.
As Katniss washes Peeta's shorts in the stream, she learns that Peeta hasn't
gotten anything from the sponsors. Peeta comments that Haymitch favors her
because they're just alike.
Realizing Peeta can't move very far, Katniss constructs a shelter from some of
the cave-like rocks, which she camouflages.
Peeta is burning with fever and when he starts talking about not making it,
Katniss gives him a kiss to shut him up. It works.
She steps out of the cave for a moment and what does she see? A pot of hot
broth. The message from Haymitch: romance = sponsors. More kissing!
Katniss comes back to the cave ready for romance. She kisses the sleeping
Peeta awake and shows him the broth.

CHAPTER 20
Katniss feeds Peeta, smooches a little more, and then settles down to keep
watch for the night.
In the morning Peeta's fever is down. Katniss feeds him some berries she's
collected, and then Peeta makes her rest while he keeps watch. He strokes her
hair as she falls asleep.
Katniss wakes in the afternoon, a little ticked that she slept so long. She makes
Peeta drink water (he still has a fever) and tends to his wounds. His leg looks
just awful. Without medicine, it will surely give him blood poisoning and kill
him.
With temperature blazing, Katniss uses some of the hot rocks outside to cook
up a stew. She also sets some snares.
 Back at the cave, Peeta asks Katniss to tell him a story. He asks her to tell him
about the happiest day she can remember.
The first thing that comes to mind is hunting with Gale, but this won't go over
well with the audience. She decides on the story of Prim's goat, Lady.
The story? Ahem: Katniss had a bunch of money from selling one of her
mother's lockets.
Wait! Wait! Falsehood alert: The actual reason she had all the money? Gale and
Katniss shot a buck in the woods and sold it to the butcher, Rooba. She, of
course, couldn't say this on camera (poaching is illegal) so she has to change
things up a bit.
Continuing with the story: Katniss saw the Goat Man at the market who had a
goat that is wounded with a mauled shoulder. Knowing it would be good for
milk and cheese, she wanted to buy it for Prim.
The Goat Man said that the butcher, Rooba, was buying her. Rooba showed up
and let Katniss buy the goat instead of her.
Gale and Katniss brought home the goat. Katniss bought a pink ribbon for its
neck and Prim was thrilled. She and Mother began brewing up concoctions to
heal the goat.
Peeta says he understands why that day made Katniss happy and she says,
yes, the goat was a goldmine. Peeta makes some jests at this. The two spar for
a bit and then the trumpets blare.
Claudius Templesmith, the announcer, invites all tributes to a feast. He says
that there will be something at the feast that each of the tributes need in a
book bag marked with their district's number.
Peeta immediately says that Katniss is not going. Katniss objects and the two
fight. Peeta says he'll follow her if she goes. Katniss knows he's stubborn
enough to do it.
Katniss goes out to get the soup, which Peeta eats with gusto. As she's washing
the pot out, a parachute floats down from the sponsors. What is it? Sleep syrup
to knock Peeta out while she goes to battle it out at the feast.
Katniss mashes up the sleep syrup with some berries and manages to get Peeta
to take it. He realizes what's happening as the syrup knocks him out.

CHAPTER 21
Katniss camouflages the opening of the cave and thinks strategy: her ability to
kill from afar will help, but she'll still have to jump into the fray to get the
backpack.
Katniss settles down to sleep, though it's freezing. She thinks of her family, who
will watch the feast back home tomorrow. School will probably be canceled.
Everyone will be cheering and watching. Gale too.
Katniss wonders what Gale must think of the romance plot.
About three hours before dawn, Katniss begins to prepare to leave.
Remembering to keep up the star-crossed lovers plot, she gives Peeta a big old
kiss before she leaves.
Katniss heads to her old hiding place near the Cornucopia to see who shows up.
As the sun rises, a round table raises out of the ground with the backpacks.
Showtime!
Suddenly, someone darts out of the Cornucopia itself, grabs a backpack and
speeds off. Foxface! Katniss kicks herself for not thinking of hiding in the
Cornucopia.
 Katniss sprints for the Cornucopia and a knife whizzes by, which she deflects.
She turns and sends an arrow straight at the tribute who threw it (Clove),
injuring her in the arm.
Grabbing the backpack, Katniss gets sliced by another knife right in the
forehead. Yikes! Blinded with the blood, Clove knocks her to the ground.
The two exchange barbs: Katniss says Peeta is out hunting Cato (not true), and
then yells his name. Clove silences her and calls her a liar. She says she'll kill
her just like they killed Rue.
Clove starts to cut Katniss's mouth with one of her many knives, when all of a
sudden Thresh appears and attacks Clove. He apparently heard her mention
killing Rue, and he's back for revenge. He bludgeons Clove in the skull with a
rock. WOW.
Thresh turns to Katniss with the rock. Katniss tells Thresh she was Rue's ally
and that she killed Rue's attacker. Thresh lets her go, saying that now the two
are even.
With Cato approaching the scene, Katniss takes off for the woods. She makes it
back to the cave, takes out a hypodermic needle from the backpack (medicine
for Peeta, duh), and gives him a shot.
Still bleeding from her head, Katniss blacks out.

CHAPTER 22
Katniss wakes up, weak and dizzy to find Peeta nursing her. He feeds her and
tells her to rest. He doesn't appear mad at her for drugging him.
It's raining outside, which Katniss knows is probably aimed at Cato and Thresh.
She tells Peeta about everything that happened at the Cornucopia, including
Thresh letting her go because he owed her a debt.
Peeta doesn't seem to understand, but Katniss says it's like the bread he gave
her as a child. Katniss feels tears in her eyes thinking about Thresh dying. She
tells Peeta she wants to go home.
Katniss sleeps more and, when she wakes, the two eat what's left of the food.
They're still famished.
Realizing that romance is the way to get more food, Katniss decides to play up
the lovey-dovey thing some more. She takes his hand and apologizes for
drugging him. Peeta warns her not to do it again.
The two spar a little and Katniss feels something she's not sure what and
before you know it the two are lip-locked. For real! Katniss tells us that this is
the first kiss she's had with him that makes her want another.
No more hanky-panky for Katniss, though. The two snuggle down in the
sleeping bag and get some rest.
The next day, the rains continue, and Katniss and Peeta grow hungrier. Time for
more romance!
Katniss asks Peeta when he got a crush on her. He tells her the first day of
school. He also mentions that his own father wanted to marry her mother.
(WHOA.)
Peeta said he knew he was a goner for her when in music class she stood up
and sang the valley song. Of course, he could never work up the nerve to talk
to her.
Katniss is happy but also super-confused. These details sound real. Is Peeta
actually telling the truth? Is he actually in love with her?
 Katniss stutters through some more words and then leans in to kiss him. That's
when she hears a clunk outside: a tureen of lamb stew and rice! Looks like the
romance plot worked.

CHAPTER 23
Katniss and Peeta eat a small portion of the stew, knowing if they gorge
themselves, they'll get sick. Then it's more kissy face for the camera.
Katniss teases Peeta for liking a girl from the Seam, but he reminds her that if
she wins, she'll be living in Victor's Village in a fancy new house. Their neighbor,
of course, would be Haymitch. (HA.)
The two tease Haymitch a bit, which the audience probably enjoys. Katniss
realizes that she might not get along with Haymitch very well in person, but the
two have been able to communicate throughout the Games. She understands
his messages through the gifts he sends.
Katniss asks Peeta how Haymitch won the Hunger Games. Peeta says by
outsmarting the others. Maybe Katniss has been underestimated Haymitch.
The anthem plays and Katniss finds out Thresh is dead. She's pretty bummed.
They realize Cato will be hunting them.
The two take turns sleeping and watching and eating. Katniss considers that
they might actually win. What would she do? Who would she be?
Who will Peeta be, she wonders? Will they be friends? Something beyond that?
She thinks of Gale.
In the morning the two eat the rest of the food and set out to hunt. As the two
move through the forest, Peeta is, unfortunately, SUPER-loud. He stomps and
clumps and scares off the game.
Katniss asks him to take his boots off and the two of them are a little quieter,
but not much.
The two decide to split up: Peeta will gather roots and Katniss will hunt. She
teaches him a whistle to use to say he's OK.
After having caught some game, Katniss realizes she hasn't heard the whistle in
a bit. She whistles, no response. Back at their meeting point, she sees a bunch
of berries that have been gathered, but no Peeta.
Suddenly, he appears and Katniss is relieved but still angry at him for not
whistling. She also notices that some of their food is gone.
That's when the cannon fires. The hovercraft appears, and they see Foxface
lifted out of the arena.
That's right: crafty old Foxface ate some of the berries Peeta collected.
Apparently, they were poisonous!

CHAPTER 24
Katniss explains to Peeta that Foxface must have been watching him gather
food and eaten his berries. They save a handful of the berries, just in case they
can fool Cato in the same way.
Speaking of which, he probably knows where they are now, what with the
canon, but instead of running, Katniss suggests they make a fire, roast their
meat, and wait to see if he shows up.
He doesn't. Time to make camp for the night, but Peeta can't climb, so Katniss
agrees (reluctantly) to head back to the cave. Then she gives him a smooch.
(Gotta play up the romance.)
 Back at the cave, the two eat and Peeta nods off. Katniss tucks him into bed
and thinks about Cato and his crazed tantrum when he lost the supply pyramid.
Maybe the guy is insane.
Her thoughts turn to Foxface: probably the smartest tribute out there. The only
way they got her was through Peeta's mistake. Is Cato as smart? He definitely
lacks control with that temper.
The next day the two eat and head out only to find the stream all dried up. The
Gamemakers must be driving them to the lake for a "bloody fight to the death"
so that's where they head (24.46).
At the lake, there's no sign of Cato. Katniss makes Rue's mockingjay call and
the trees come alive with the song. The song is cut off, though, when someone
smashes through the trees: Cato wearing body armor.
But wait. He's not running for them. He's running FROM something. But what?
Creatures. He's being pursued by creatures. Katniss stumbles after Cato. And
runs.

CHAPTER 25
The creatures chasing them are big old wolves that are clearly genetic
"muttations" engineered by the Capitol (25.1).
Cato, Katniss, and Peeta all scramble for the safety of the Cornucopia. Cato
reaches the top first, and then Katniss. Just as she's about to draw an arrow to
shoot him she hears Peeta cry out with the mutts on his heels. She helps him
climb to the top.
That's when Katniss gets a closer look at the pack of wolves: their eyes are
strangely human. That's when she realizes that they ARE humans. The Capitol
has somehow engineered the dead tributes into KILLER WOLVES.
Katniss fires into one of the wolves' (Glimmer's) throat. Then she recognizes
Foxface, the boy from District 9, and worst of all, RUE. Peeta recognizes them
too.
Peeta and Katniss fight off the pack, but then Cato (who had been recovering
from being chased) comes up behind Peeta and gets him in a headlock.
Katniss doesn't know what to do. Her arrows are useless. Plus, if she shoots
him, he'll take Peeta down with him into the pack of snarling wolves. Stalemate.
Peeta signals for Katniss to shoot Cato's hand, which she does, and Cato
releases Peeta while he knocks Cato back into the wolf pack. Unfortunately,
Cato doesn't die right away. He is being torn to bits by the wolves.
Still, though, no cannon. They can hear Cato slowly dying and moaning. What's
worse is that Peeta is losing blood from his leg.
Katniss cuts off a sleeve from her shirt and makes a tourniquet for Peeta with
her arrow. He may lose his leg, but it could also save his life.
Listening to Cato die is a nightmare and Katniss just wants his suffering to end.
The Gamemakers won't put him out of his misery though, because "this is the
final word in entertainment" (25.44).
Katniss makes Peeta stay awake through the night so he won't lose
consciousness. Peeta tells her to shoot Cato with the arrow she used for his
tourniquet. Katniss does and the cannon fires.
They did it! Yeah! But wait. Nothing happens.
They move down to the lake where the announcer's voice booms out that there
has been YET ANOTHER change in the rules. That's right! Now there can only be
ONE winner.
 Katniss draws her arrow but can't kill Peeta. She won't let him kill himself. So
what do they decide to do?
Katniss grabs the red poisonous berries that killed old Foxface. Peeta gets her
idea, and they both take some in their hand. It's tragic lover suicide time! Peeta
kisses her and then they start to pop them in their mouth.
Then suddenly, the voice of the announcer:
"Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am leased to present the victors of the
Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!" (25.94).

CHAPTER 26
Katniss and Peeta spit the berries out and flush their mouths with water. A
hovercraft appears and zips them right up.
Doctors whisk Peeta away behind a glass door and Katniss pounds on it. They're
working away, though his heart stops twice.
The hovercraft lands at the Training Center, and Katniss starts throwing herself
against the glass. Then she's jabbed with a needle and all goes black.
When Katniss wakes, she's naked in a bed in what seems to be a kind of
recovery area. Her body is totally healed, clean, and all her scars are nearly
gone. Her hearing is back in her left ear too.
An Avox comes in and Katniss asks if Peeta made it. The Avox nods yes. She
eats the clear broth the Avox brought in and realizes she will soon be home!
She tries to get up but instead slips back into unconsciousness.
The waking, sleeping, and eating cycle continues for a bit. Then Katniss wakes
one day and nothing is plugged into her arm. No restraints anywhere. All her
scars are gone. Her skin feels like satin.
Katniss dresses and immediately finds Effie, Haymitch, and Cinna. Hugs all
around. No Peeta, though, since their reunion is to be televised.
Katniss goes with Cinna to be readied for the reunion. She tries her best not to
be annoyed by the prep team.
Cinna brings out a simple yellow dress that is padded with curves since Katniss
has lost so much weight. Cinna tells Katniss that they did want to surgically
change Katniss.
Katniss looks very unassuming and innocent in her outfit. She knows there's a
reason for the simple dress, but Cinna doesn't fill her in. Or can't. He just says
he thought Peeta would like it.
Before she is taken to the stage, Haymitch clues her in that she's kind of in
trouble with the Capitol. They're furious at the whole suicide stunt thing. He
tells her that her only defense is to be madly in love with Peeta.
Katniss asks Haymitch if he already told Peeta this, and Haymitch says that
Peeta is "already there" (26.59).
Katniss knows she's in danger. So is Peeta, and possibly her family. She's got to
pull this off. Now, there's so much more at stake.
What did Haymitch mean when he said that Peeta was "already there" (25.67)?
Is he in love with her? Does Katniss have feelings for Peeta?
Katniss has no idea. It's all too complicated. And she has time to think about it
now because "the most dangerous part of the Hunger Games is about to begin"
(25.69).

Chapter 27
 The reunion show, hosted by Caesar Flickerman, begins. The support team
comes out and then Katniss and Peeta (supported by a cane) are transported to
the stage. She runs to his arms and they kiss for quite some time.
The two sit in a love seat, and after a glance from Haymitch, Katniss kicks off
her sandals and snuggles up to Peeta and puts her head on his shoulder.
Now it's time for the show: they have to watch a three hour re-cap of the entire
games. This year the editors have made it into a love story.
Peeta carries the romance for the first part (staying awake under the tracker
jacker tree, etc.), but Katniss's role picks up after Rue's death, when she shouts
out Peeta's name.
The berry suicide moment is played and then it ends, thankfully, with Katniss
pounding on the glass in the hovercraft, calling Peeta's name. Pretty
compelling.
President Snow then appears on stage with a crown which he breaks in half and
puts one on Peeta's head and the other's on Katniss's. He is smiling but his eyes
are "as unforgiving as a snake's" (27.10).
The evening's festivities conclude and then it's time for the Victory Banquet.
Afterwards, Peeta and Katniss are separated and sent to separate rooms to
sleep and prepare for the final interview tomorrow.
Determined to talk to Peeta, Katniss slips out to the roof, but he's not there.
She tries to leave her room again later that night, but she's locked in.
Imprisoned! But by whom?
The next morning, it's interview time, and Katniss is prepped again by the
stylists and then ushered into a sitting room with a love seat. Caesar
Flickerman is there to ask questions.
Peeta and Katniss snuggle up again (per Caesar's suggestion) and the questions
begin. Peeta does most of the talking as he has a great rapport with Caesar.
Finally Katniss has to talk. Caesar asks her when she knew she was falling for
Peeta. Katniss fumbles but Caesar helps by reminding her of the night she
called out his name when she heard that two tributes could win. Recovery!
Caesar changes the subject to all their injuries and he asks Peeta how his new
leg is. Katniss blames herself because she used the tourniquet, but Caesar
points out that she saved his life. Katniss gets upset and buries her head in
Peeta's shirt.
Caesar then asks Katniss about the berries. She says she couldn't bear the
thought of being without Peeta. Peeta agrees. Good job! The interview is over.
Katniss collects things from her room (the mockingjay pin) and then is whisked
away to a train to be taken back to District 12. She'll see her support team
again soon when she and Peeta go on the tour of the districts that the victors
always go on.
Katniss changes into a plan shirt and pants. She starts feeling like herself and
Peeta's arms around her shoulders starts feeling "alien" (27.58).
The train stops for fuel, and she and Peeta walk outside for air. She can only
think of Gale. Haymitch appears and tells them to keep up the lovey-dovey stuff
until they're back in the district and the cameras are gone.
Haymitch gone, Peeta asks Katniss what that was all about. It comes out that
Peeta thought that love stuff back in the arena was real, but Katniss didn't.
Well, not completely. She doesn't know what she feels. The closer she gets to
home, the more confused she is.
Peeta asks her to let him know when she figures it out. He goes back to the
train.
 When the train pulls into the station, there are cameras everywhere. Peeta
extends his hand to Katniss and says, "One more time? For the audience?"
(25.82).
Katniss takes it as they step onto the platform.