Katniss while visiting the house on the pond, finds it is inhabited by two women, Bonnie and Twill, who are escapees from District 8. Twill shows Katniss a cracker with the image of a mockingjay impressed in it, which means they are on Katniss' side.

They explain her act of defiance, during the Games, gave the people of District 8 the push they needed to act on their thoughts of rebellion. The people staged a coup, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful and the Peacekeepers came down hard on the entire population. People were executed and the general population was sequestered in their homes for a week.

The Peacekeepers let the people resume their regular routines, but it was a ruse to bring workers into a factory, so it could be blown up. The Peacekeepers felt the instigators of the rebellion worked at the factory. Bonnie and Twill, who worked in the factory, were presumed dead and seized the opportunity to escape District 8.

They had already secured Peacekeeper uniforms, so they made their way to District 12. They are trying to reach District 13, which was destroyed in the uprising seventy-five years ago. They think it contains an underground city full of people.

Katniss gives them food, then she makes her way to the fence to slip back into District 12. As she walks she realizes the President has been lying to her. No matter how she acts some of the districts are going to rebel. She notices as she approaches the fence that it is electrified.

She climbs a high tree and jumps into a snowbank on the other side of the fence. She breaks a bone in her heel and bruises her tailbone in the fall. On her way home, she purchases some bandages and candy for her mother and sister. This comes in handy, because she is faced with a pair of Peacekeepers waiting for her when she returns home.

They have been waiting for hours to give her a message from Head Peacekeeper Thread. He wants her to know the fence will now be constantly electrified. Because Katniss can tell them she has been to the store and she doesn't have any poached game with her, they leave. She tells her mother she suffered her injuries in a fall.

Katniss watches television to verify what Bonnie and Twill have told her. They said the footage shown of District 13 is old and just shown repeatedly, because they noticed it is the same mockingjay shown in every shot of the Justice Hall. After watching coverage of District 13, Katniss agrees this is the case.

Katniss has almost recovered from her injuries, when her style team arrives at her home. She is having her wedding gown photo shoot. She endures the process of getting ready for the shoot and the actual photo shoot. Then the next day she finds Haymitch and tells him about Bonnie, Twill, and the uprising in District 8. She has also found out from her style team districts 4 and 3 are also in upheaval.

That night, Prim tells Katniss the school is requiring the students to watch television that evening. First, they see a show about Katniss' wedding dresses, which shows her pictures from the photo shoot. Then the President gives a speech about the Quarter Quell. Each Quell is a different version of the Hunger Games; this year the tributes will be pulled from the pool of existing victors. Since District 12 has only three victors and two of those are male, this means Katniss must again participate in the Games.

The news is almost more than Katniss can bear. She runs out of the house and towards the woods, before she remembers the electrified fence. She then breaks into an empty house in Victory Village to scream out her hysteria. She slowly regains reason and knows this Quell is not one that was predetermined, but instead aimed at her. The President wants her gone and now he has found a way to do it, without causing more dissention in the districts.

The reason the previous victors are chosen this year is to show that "even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol". This is the perfect way to put down the rebellions and eliminate Katniss.

She finds her way out of the abandoned house and looks for Haymitch. She wants him as tribute instead of Peeta, but Peeta has already told Haymitch he will take his place. Katniss and Haymitch decide they must make sure Peeta survives the Games.

Peeta determines they are going to train for the Games. This means studying tapes of previous winners, training, eating right, and no alcohol. Haymitch and Katniss aren't happy about training, but they know it will give Peeta the best chance of surviving.

Gale is not afraid to tell Katniss how much she means to him, but she doesn't respond in kind. She is trying to prepare him for her eventual death. She knows the only way Peeta can come home alive is if she dies. She plans to tell Gale how much he means to her after the reaping. On reaping day, her and Haymitch's names are called, but Peeta steps in for Haymitch. New rules are in place and instead being able to say good-bye they are whisked away to the train by guards.

Katniss is surprised to find two escapees from District 8 living in the house by the pond. They tell her they think District 13 is inhabited. She learns from her style team other districts are rebelling. The most significant event is the reaping for the Quarter Quell, because it is limited to past victors. This means Katniss must go up against Peeta in the arena. She cannot allow Peeta to die, so she decides to make sure he wins, which means she must die. Katniss knows her death will also mean her family will once again be plunged into poverty.