The Games have begun and Katniss is filled with indecision, as she awaits the gong signaling they can start running. Her choice is either to fight for provisions stored in a Cornucopia or start running for the tree line. She sees a bow and arrows in the Cornucopia, but is distracted by Peeta just before the gong sounds. She is forced to run picking up a backpack, a piece of plastic, and a loaf of bread on the way. She sees other tributes being killed and has a knife thrown at her, but moves her backpack to stop it from reaching her skin. The knife will come in handy later, she thinks.

That evening, after spending the day running, she opens the backpack to find it contains a sleeping bag, some food, and a container for water. She doesn't have water and knows it is a top priority if she is going to survive. She spends the night sleeping in a tree. As dawn approaches she sees a fire, which one of the tributes has started to keep warm.

Katniss knows it is a mistake and this is confirmed when a group of tributes kill the girl who started the fire. She listens to the group talk and is surprised to hear Peeta's voice. He is a part of the tributes ganging up on the lone players.

Peeta has joined up with the Careers, the tributes who have trained to participate in the Games. Katniss is shocked at the betrayal. After Peeta returns to finish off the girl, Katniss hears the others talking about Peeta. They are using him to find her. They have every intention of killing him once she is found.

Katniss knows she should be more concerned about them, but her immediate problem is a lack of water. She is starting to feel the effects of dehydration. She had set some traps the night before and is rewarded with a rabbit. This she cooks on the coals left over from the dead girl's fire. Then she heads out into the woods looking for water.

She is shaky on her feet and has trouble concentrating. She decides to say the word "water" to let Haymitch know she needs it. He can send her some if a sponsor will provide it, but none arrives. She surmises he must know she is close to a water source. At last she falls and can't get up, but she manages to recognize mud beneath her. She crawls and finds a pond, which allows her to quench her thirst.

That night as she is about to fall asleep, she hears footsteps and sees a wall of fire headed towards her. She thinks she might be able to circle around the wall of flames and find safety there. She realizes the fire is being produced by the Gamemakers, to make the Games more exciting for the viewers.

Just as she decides on this plan, fire balls begin to shoot past her. Now all she can do is run to avoid being hit by the fire balls. Eventually she is hit in the calf and burns her hands trying to rip her pant leg away from the burn. After the attack ends, she finds a pond to soak her burnt hands and calf.

She is about to give into exhaustion, when she hears the Careers coming for her. She climbs a tree just before they find her. Peeta refuses to look at her, but the others have no problem taking up her offer to join her in the tree. Cato, one of the Careers, tries to climb the tree and falls, then a girl, Glimmer, comes up the tree with the bow and arrows Katniss wanted. She shoots an arrow at Katniss, but misses, giving Katniss an arrow to use as a weapon. Peeta convinces the others to leave her alone for the night.

Katniss notices another tribute, Rue, in a neighboring tree and she points to something above Katniss' head.

Rue is pointing to a wasp nest above Katniss' head. These wasps are tracker wasps who were bred during the war. They have the ability to track whoever disturbs their nests, or tries to kill them. Their sting is venomous, producing hallucinations and can kill with just a few stings. Those that survive an attack can go mad and become very ill.

Katniss decides the only way for her to escape the Careers, is to send the nest crashing down on top of them. She warns Rue of her plan, so she can flee the area. Then she begins to cut the branch holding the nest, after a few tries and being stung three times herself, she manages to cut it down. The wasps kill Glimmer and the District 4 tribute, while the others run for water to escape the wasps.

Katniss begins experiencing hallucinations from her stings, but knows she needs to retrieve the bow and arrows. After some difficulty removing the quiver from Glimmer's body, she is confronted by Peeta. He has come back ahead of the others, to make sure Katniss is safe. He yells at her to leave, just as Cato is approaching them. She runs into the woods, experiencing hallucinations which leave her screaming in terror. As she passes out in the woods her last thought is "Peeta Mellark just saved my life."

The Hunger Games have begun and Katniss uses all of the skills she has acquired from hunting to help keep her alive. She is surprised to find that Peeta has joined a band of Careers to hunt and kill tributes. She thinks he is helping them find her, but soon finds out he is actually trying to protect her. Even though she tries to keep going, at times she is ready to quit. It is during these times a stroke of luck comes her way and allows her to keep on going.