Tortured but Together (A Hunger Games Fanfiction) [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter Nineteen

A/N: Usual message that the Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins and not to me. Anyway, enjoy!

(President Snow POV)
It's been a week, and I haven't made any progress with either Mellark or Everdeen, to say I'm ticked off would be an understatement. The only thing that seems to phase Mr. Mellark is Miss Everdeen, otherwise he'll just stare down my peacekeepers and give passive aggressive responses to their questions.

Speaking of my peacekeepers, Lawrence walks in, saluting me. "Here to deliver a report on the prisoners as requested President Snow sir!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Give your report!"

"Yes, of course President Snow sir. Everdeen seems to just be slipping in and out of reality; we can barely get any response from her at this point, no matter how much pain we use. She has an empty look in her eyes, like she's not even in there anymore."

"Well, that's better than nothing I suppose. What would it take to get her ready to go on air at 6:30 tonight?"

"It would take a miracle President Snow sir, especially to hide how badly she's been doing. We've had to force feed her to make sure she gets anything of substance to eat; she isn't looking good sir."

I groan, this isn't going nearly as well as I hoped it would. "Well, what of Mellark? How is he faring?"

"He's...still just as stubborn as ever. He barely talks to us at all, just writes letters and then gives them to us. He's...quite angry and desperate at the moment. It's my belief that he's going to crack soon, but my men still aren't sure in which direction yet."

"He writes you letters? Let me see them," I command. Lawrence nods, and I swear I can see him swallow nervously; when he finishes handing me the letters, he quickly steps back. Once I start reading them, I understand why he did, if he stayed where he was, the shards of the glass vase that I broke might have landed in his eye.

Most of the letters look pretty normal, more like the mutterings of a madman who's feeling quite heartsick. Although, one of them stands out to me in particular.

President Snow,
I trust this letter will reach you; and I trust you know why I'm sending it. Simply put, I'm getting impatient and angry. Hearing Katniss' screams at all hours of the day and night is more than I can bear. You've brought nightmares into my reality, and I will never forgive you for that, and I will never forgive you for what you've done to Katniss. Did you know our cells are next to each other but the bars are too thin for us to reach out to the other side and comfort each other? Who am I kidding, of course you knew. After all this, I've made a promise to myself, and, unlike you, I'm not in the habit of breaking promises. Because I'm feeling so generous, I'll share what my promise is; it's the promise that you and your Capitol will fall, and that I will bring your head to the rebels on a silver platter. I've run out of patience, prepare for war.
Go to hell,
Peeta Mellark

Who does he think he is exactly? He's a nobody from district 12! Nobody is supposed to care about him, that should be causing him to break down, not making him even more of a threat. I bang my fist on my desk. "Bring. Me. Mellark. NOW!" I try not to get in the habit of raising my voice too much, but this time, this time I'll make an exception. He wants to kill me? Well, let's just see how he reacts when I murder Everdeen and force him to watch.

About 20 minutes later, Lawrence and 20 other peacekeepers drag a struggling Mr. Mellark into my office. "What is it exactly that you want from me this time? Perhaps this time I'm supposed to kiss your boots and then build a temple to worship you! Would that make your grace happy," he says mockingly.

"Let me make this very clear Mr. Mellark. And I will only say this once, so you'd better pay attention. If you ever threaten me like you did in your most recent letter, martyr or not, I will make you watch as I put a bullet straight through Miss Everdeen's head."

His face goes pale at that, and I could swear he looks scared. Good, he has every reason to be flat out terrified. "What do I have to say, what do I have to do to make you take your anger out on me instead of Katniss? No matter what I do, you still go after her, even now you're going after her, even though I was the one who threatened you! What is it going to take for you to leave her the hell alone?" As he asks this, I see a couple of tears slip down his face, he truly is just a young and heartsick fool. 

"Mr. Mellark, let me explain something to you. No matter what you do, what you say, I will continue to punish Miss Everdeen. It is no longer in your power to keep her safe, you've failed me too greatly for that to even be an option anymore. However, you are still able to help make sure Miss Everdeen stays alive. Her life depends on your cooperation Mr. Mellark." I pause for a moment to let my words sink in. "Lawrence, you and your men take him back to the cells, and get Miss Everdeen to prep, she has a role to play tonight, and for her sake I hope she does it well."

Sitting at my desk once more, I take a breath and call my head peacekeeper on the intercom. "James, I have special orders for you and a few of your best men. Bomb district 13, and make sure that the only things left are the ashes of everyone's bodies."