Vipers & Virtues ⚕ ׂLucy Gray Baird

Chapter Thirty-One

​​I take a deep breath as I make my way down the dimly lit hallway towards the jail cells of District 13. My heart feels heavy in my chest as I think about what I'm about to do - see Sam, the one I love, in this place of confinement.

As I turn the corner, I see the heavy metal door that leads to the cells. My hands tremble slightly as I approach it, and I can feel the weight of the guards' stares on me.

I swallow hard and clear my throat, trying to steady myself. "I'm here to see Sam," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

The guards exchange a quick glance before one of them nods and unlocks the door. "Right this way," he says gruffly, leading me down a narrow stairway.

I can hear the sound of my own footsteps echoing off the cold, stone walls as we descend deeper into the bowels of the prison. The air grows colder and more oppressive with each step, and my heart feels like it's beating faster and faster.

Finally, we reach the end of the corridor and the guard stops in front of a heavy metal door. "He's in here," he says.

I find myself standing before the cold iron bars of the jail cell, my heart pounding against my chest. Sam, once my confidant and companion, now sits imprisoned, his eyes filled with a mix of despair and confusion. The torchlight dances on his face, casting shadows that mirror the turmoil within me.

But even in this grim setting, his eyes light up when he sees me. "Lucy," he says softly, standing up and walking towards me. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Sam," I say coldly, my face hard as stone. "You told the Capitol about me being in District 13, Sam," I accuse, my voice quivering with a blend of anger and hurt. "You betrayed me. How could you?"

Sam's gaze meets mine, pleading innocence. "Lucy, I swear on everything I hold dear, I had nothing to do with it. I would never jeopardize your safety."

His words strike a chord deep within me, memories of our stolen moments flooding back. The stolen glances, the whispered promises - they had once been everything to me. But now, doubts cloud my judgment, and I struggle to find solace in his reassurances.

"How am I supposed to believe you, Sam?" I retort, my voice filled with bitterness. "They knew I was in District 13, every single detail. You were the only one who could have betrayed me."

Sam's voice trembles as he reaches through the bars, his hand yearning for mine. "Lucy, I beg you to trust me. I would never do anything to harm you, not after everything we've been through."

My heart aches at the sincerity in his voice, but suspicion gnaws at me like a persistent hunger. How could I blindly trust him when the Capitol seemed to have an uncanny knowledge of my whereabouts?

"The evidence is stacked against you, Sam," I counter, my voice heavy with doubt. "Snow said you told him everything. How can you explain that?"

Sam's eyes flicker with desperation, his voice pleading for understanding. "Please, you have to believe me."

Torn between loyalty and betrayal, love and mistrust, I feel the ground shifting beneath me. The man I once knew, the one who had held my heart in his hands, now stood before me, an enigma. My fingers twitch, longing to touch his, to seek solace in our shared bond, but the weight of doubt anchors me in place.

"Perhaps I've been a fool, Sam," I whisper, my voice laced with pain. "Maybe the Capitol has a hold on you, manipulating your every move. But I won't let them destroy me, not without a fight."

As I turn away, tears streaming down my face, I can feel the pieces of our shattered love falling into the abyss. Yet, a flicker of hope remains, buried beneath the layers of doubt. Perhaps, just perhaps, Sam is innocent, and the truth will reveal itself in time. But until then, I must face the cruel reality and stand strong against the darkness that threatens to consume us all.