Sunrise on the Reaping

Lenore reveals that she was arrested by Peacekeepers after she returned to the reaping stage and performed rebellious songs that drew a crowd. Lenore says that the grieving and angry District 12 residents needed “a place to be together, to raise their voices” (83). She was charged with disrupting the peace, a minor offense, and Haymitch hopes she will be let go soon.

Haymitch implores Lenore not to get herself killed. They exchange I-love-yous before the line goes dead. Haymitch questions Plutarch about why he arranged the call. Plutarch replies that he needs Haymitch to trust him because he has valuable information to share about the arena. The synthetic sun constructed by the Gamemakers rises in the east, which will allow Haymitch to orient himself. Additionally, he knows that the mutt portals will be concealed by flowering berms. Plutarch urges Haymitch not to let the Capitol control the narrative, telling him that all of Panem needs him.

Back in the library, Plutarch guides the tributes through the filming of propaganda videos or “propos.” He tells them that their current popularity is down to their refusal to assimilate to the Capitol, as many residents fear that the citizens from the wealthier districts are trying to infiltrate the Capitol. Maysilee proposes coining a derogatory nickname for the Career alliance, and Haymitch suggests “Near Beer,” a reference to watered-down beer in the Capitol. They shoot a series of clips mocking the Careers, which Plutarch will edit into propos.

Before bed, Maysilee asks Haymitch if he meant what he said about not wanting allies. Haymitch confirms this. As he tries to fall asleep, he thinks of “The Raven”. He relates to the protagonist of the poem, as he too is tormented by missing Lenore.

The morning of the Games arrives. Mags hugs everyone goodbye before they are injected with trackers and loaded into a hovercraft, which transports them to the arena. The tributes are led to private rooms on Sub-A equipped with launchpads. Effie visits Haymitch and wishes him luck before he’s launched into the arena.

The arena is beautiful, boasting a huge green meadow with a forest to the left and a snow-capped mountain to the right. In the center is the Cornucopia, which contains supply packs and weapons. Haymitch knows that an initial bloodbath always takes place at the Cornucopia and hopes to avoid it. Haymitch uses the sun to orient himself, deducing that the woods are to the north. When the gong rings to announce the start of the games, he grabs a supply pack, a knife, and a spear, then sprints toward the woods.

Shortly afterward, cannons fire, each shot announcing the death of a tribute. Haymitch counts 18 casualties. There are only 16 Careers, so some Newcomers are among the dead.

When Haymitch reaches the tree line, he opens the supply pack, which contains some food and water, a hammock, a pair of binoculars, and a packet of charcoal tablets. Slightly disappointed, he continues into the woods. The cannons sound to announce the deaths of two more tributes, bringing the total casualties to 20. Haymitch stops to drink from a stream, watching as a gray rabbit does the same. As he ponders whether he could catch and eat it, the rabbit suddenly falls over, dead.

Haymitch registers that everything in the arena must be poisoned as sharp pains rip through his stomach. He chews a handful of the charcoal tablets from his pack, which neutralize the pain. Weakened by the poison, he takes cover in a thicket of bushes until darkness falls.

At dusk, Panem’s anthem is blasted in the arena as pictures of the deceased tributes are projected onto the sky. Among the dead are several Careers and 16 members of the Newcomers alliance, including all of District 9. Haymitch hopes that Ampert managed to salvage their explosive tokens. The last tribute shown is Wyatt Callow. Haymitch is surprised by how much Wyatt’s death hurts him. He thinks to himself that the Games have to end now.

The next morning, Haymitch mulls over his plan of action, noting that the Newcomers now barely outnumber the Careers. Lou Lou appears, chanting, “Find Haymitch.” Haymitch resolves to protect her until he meets up with Ampert.

Haymitch leads Lou Lou north, collecting a sparking rock along the way. After walking for a while, Lou Lou curls up and falls asleep, so Haymitch builds a fire while examining some nearby berms. He stops by one labeled “Gas Plant,” a highly flammable flower.

After dinner, Haymitch and Lou Lou continue north. Lou Lou is suddenly distracted by a berm covered in purple flowers that Haymitch recognizes as Bee Balm, a healing plant. Lou Lou puts her face into the flowers and inhales deeply, then begins to gasp and suffocate, poisoned by the synthetic pollen. As Lou Lou slowly chokes to death, Haymitch cradles her. He is horrified by the Gamemakers’ cruelty in drawing out her death when they could easily kill her with a dose of sedative through her pump. Haymitch rips the pump off Lou Lou’s chest, ending her suffering.

The cannon announces Lou Lou’s death and Haymitch whispers into her earpiece, accusing the Gamemakers of murder. A hovercraft arrives to collect Lou Lou’s body, but the thought of the Capitol taking her infuriates Haymitch. He picks her up and carries her into a copse of willow trees, hiding from the hovercraft.

As his adrenaline fades, Haymitch realizes that he is playing right into Snow’s hands and endangering his loved ones by causing trouble. Several blue butterflies land on his body and deliver strong electric shocks. He drops Lou Lou and runs, knowing that he is being publicly punished for his behavior. When Haymitch reaches a Gas Plant berm, he uses his rock and flint striker to ignite it, killing the butterfly swarm.

After recovering from the stings, Haymitch follows the remaining butterflies to a berm labeled Butterfly Bush. A hatch under the berm has opened, and he wedges a stick into it before it slides closed.

Night falls, and the day’s fallen tributes are once again projected on the sky—Lou Lou, and a boy from District 1. A parachute arrives carrying a sponsor gift of bread, cheese, grape juice, and wine glasses. Haymitch pours himself a glass and raises it to the sky, toasting, “my fellow rascals from the Capitol” (101). Heartened by the food, he decides to go looking for Ampert.

Haymitch scales a large rock and uses his binoculars to locate Ampert, who is about a mile away and walking north. He notes two sunflower pendants around Ampert’s neck. Haymitch realizes that he needs to think of a reason for approaching Ampert after distancing himself from the alliance.

When Ampert arrives, he stages a conversation for the benefit of the cameras, telling Haymitch that the Newcomers have sent him to get Haymitch back. Haymitch refuses to rejoin the alliance, but he agrees to show Ampert around the woods. Ampert gives Haymitch Wyatt’s token to wear.

The two reach the Butterfly Bush berm, where Ampert falls asleep on Haymitch’s hammock. Haymitch wonders why the younger tributes seem to flock to him when he can’t protect them. Haymitch contemplates the planned Sub-A explosion. He suspects he will be killed by the blast, escaping whatever cruel fate the Gamemakers have planned for him. He feels a sliver of hope, but reminds himself that hope is like white liquor: Though it may feel good in the moment, “like as not, you’ll end up paying for it twice” (103).

Over dinner, Ampert removes his tokens and unbraids a fuse from his necklace, pretending that he wants to make a snare. As night falls, no cannons sound; all of the remaining tributes have survived the day. Haymitch mentally says goodbye to his loved ones, hoping to see them all again someday.

Around midnight, Ampert and Haymitch return to the berm. Ampert gives Haymitch the explosive, noting that he will have 60 seconds to escape after lighting the fuse. They head to the berm, where Haymitch descends a ladder into a concrete hallway. He locates the side of the reservoir and assembles the bomb, then lights the fuse. An explosion rocks Sub-A, followed by a rush of water. Haymitch fights his way up the ladder and climbs back out into the arena, only to find Ampert gone.

Haymitch hears a chittering sound and follows it into the woods, where he sees a swarm of carnivorous squirrel mutts devouring Ampert. He charges at them, but they ignore him, programmed to focus only on Ampert. When they retreat, all that remains is Ampert’s skeleton. A cannon sounds, and “somewhere, Beetee’s heart breaks” (107). Haymitch, consumed with grief and rage, picks up Ampert’s ax and furiously hacks at everything around him. In response, an earthquake shakes the arena, raining down debris that narrowly misses him.

Returning to his campsite, Haymitch notices signs of the arena malfunctioning: Blue sparks fly from an apple tree, and a horde of sharp-hooved deer mutts prances around erratically. Overjoyed, he dances around and sings The Goose and the Common. 

His revelry is interrupted when the sky above flickers and a humming noise fills the air. Beginning to panic, Haymitch climbs a tree and lifts his binoculars just in time to see the mountain in the distance erupting into a volcano. He realizes, “[F]or me, the party is over” (108).