Finds shelter

As the clock began to count down from 60 seconds, Katniss struggled to come to terms with her situation. She was completely naked not just in front of her fellow competitors, but also the entire nation!

Katniss wanted to be strong and confident, to defy President Snow, but standing stark naked on a floating platform with thousands of pairs of eyes on her, she didn't feel like that at all.

20 seconds to go...Katniss could see her reflection looking back at her from the surface of the water, which only served to remind her that she was utterly naked and barefoot.

10 seconds to go...Katniss was hyperventilating. A cool breeze blew over her bare shoulders, causing her to shiver, one hand wedged between her legs, the other across her chest. Why did she have to be the only one that was naked?!

3...

2...

1...

The siren sounded and Katniss dived into the water. As most of the tributes headed towards the Cornucopia, Katniss kicked hard for the shore. Even though there had been a bow waiting invitingly for her, Katniss had just wanted to get out of there and away from prying eyes.

A few seconds later, Katniss reached the shore. Staggering to her feet, she threw her hands back across her body and ran into the thick jungle. Her bare feet initially sank into the soft sand on the beach, but she was soon stumbling over fallen logs, leaves and branches snatching at her naked, wet body.

After a few minutes, Katniss stopped. Sliding down to the base of a tree, she pulled her knees up to her chest. She couldn't hear the sounds of other tributes; hopefully, she'd be able to stay away from them, at least until she got some clothes.

Why was the Capitol doing this to her?! She never wanted to be a symbol of rebellion, and now she was being utterly humiliated on national television. Katniss tried not to cry, but was so overcome by fear, panic and humiliation that she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

xxx

A few hours later, night had fallen. Katniss was shivering violently and only the risk of **** by exposure motivated her to finally move.

Hugging herself and rubbing her sides, Katniss ventured deeper into the jungle, trying to block out her nudity and get her brain back into survival mode.

It didn't take her long to find a hollowed out tree trunk. After squeezing through the narrow entrance, Katniss saw that the tree was quite roomy, and after concealing the entrance of her hiding place with leaves and fallen branches, she snuggled down into the relatively soft ground.

She was still freezing and was starting to feel dehydrated and hungry, but all that would have to wait until tomorrow; she was exhausted!

Curled into a tight ball, Katniss quickly fell asleep, already thinking up plans of how she could acquire clothes.