Pure Torture: a Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 3

Peeta

Tears soak my white pillowcase. My breathing is heavy, my sheets strewn around the bed. Some are even on the floor. It's dead silent in my room, the lights off and the world dim. I glance at the small clock on the wall. It's 1:30 in the morning. I wipe the tears from my puffy face and stand up. I'm in my standard sleeping clothes that everyone has to wear. I open the door as quietly as I can before slipping through the opening. I look around the dimly lit corridor. I'm the only one up, of course. It's against the rules to be up at this hour. I don't seem to even care anymore, though. I slowly walk down the hall, turning wherever I like. I get lost a couple times before I find a small area away from the rest of the living quarters. There's no door, but there's plenty of hiding places. I choose one behind a large pipe and sit there. The thought of Katniss being tortured consumes me. It takes up every inch of space in my brain. It must be an hour before I hear faint footsteps. It sounds like more than one person. I'm glad I'm hiding here, where they won't see me.

That's when I hear them get nearer, and I hope they turn the corner and don't come in. I can hear their voices, now.
"Okay, Miss Larson. What did you notice?" A strong but kind female voice says.
"Well," a quieter female voice, "I was just up to use the restroom. When I walked out of my compartment I noticed something odd. The compartment's door was left open. I was worried so I glanced inside. I saw sheets on the ground and in a mess on the bed. I walked inside to see if the person was okay. The room was totally empty, and there were tear stains on the pillow."

Oh no. I left my door open. I feel like I want to vomit, but I don't. I try to keep my breaths steady and quiet so I can remain undetected.
"Thank you. We will alert the rest of the watchmen. We'll find the person and make sure they're okay. You don't need to worry. " the stronger voice replies. They walk away, and I'm relieved.

It's been 10 minutes since they left. I've been crying nonstop, whispering to myself. We'll get her out. We'll get her out. She's okay. She's okay. She's going to be okay. They won't kill her. I repeat this over and over. But I still can't convince myself that it's true. What if they don't get her out. They won't risk it. They won't risk it. She's not coming back. She's not coming back. She's not okay and she won't be okay. They're going to kill her. They're going to kill her. They're going.. They're going to... They're going to kill-- I begin to hyperventilate. Now I hear footsteps returning.
"We've verified that the person who that compartment belongs to is Peeta Mellark. You know, the one Plutarch rescued from the Games. We've notified the watchmen and they told us where he could be. They know 13 inside out. They think he could be in the supply room down the hall."

Shit. They're going to find me. Even if I quit hyperventilating they're going to. But I can't slow my breathing. They get closer to the room. I hold my breath as they walk in. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping they'll leave and leave me alone. But they won't.
"Mr Mellark?" The woman says, "Mr Mellark are you in here?"
I can't hold my breath any longer. I let it out and breathe heavily, the hyperventilation stopping temporarily.
"He's here." The woman says to the other person with her.
"Mr Mellark, you need to come out."
"Just... Just leave me alone..." I manage between breaths. I'm hyperventilating once again.
"Mr Mellark, we need you to come out. You can't be awake right now. Please come out or I'll come back there."
I moan. "Please, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare, that's all. I'm okay. Just give me... Just give.. Just give me a minute." I say, desperately.
The woman doesn't give me a minute though.
"You need to sleep. We can help you sleep, Peeta." She says, kindly.
"No. You don't know what I'm dealing with. Making me sleep won't help. I'm going insane. I can't sleep again. The nightmares are too terrible. Please, I'm begging you to leave me alone." I say, the desperation in my tone getting worse.
The woman begins to climb back to where I sit.
"Peeta. Come on."
"No." I reply, "No!" I groan.
"Mr Mellark." The woman says as she nears me. She reaches my spot and grabs my arm, gently. I seat at her hand, but I'm weak right now. She grabs me, this time pulling me up. A second person, a man, simply picks me up and places me on my feet. I give up. I don't speak, and I scarcely breathe.

They lead me to the hospital. They sit me on a bed, and when nurses arrive they leave. It's only 2:45 am. I'll have to sleep until at least 7 or 8 before they'll discharge me. Tears roll down my face, I'm losing myself. I flinch when I feel them stick me with a needle, placing my IV.

They make me lay down before they administer sleeping medication to my arm through my IV. It takes a couple minutes to take effect, so I just lay there. The nurses don't leave. It's been 2 minutes, and I still don't feel sleepy. I feel empty. I feel awful. I think about Katniss again, and I only feel worse. I feel short of breath, and I think I'm struggling to breathe. I begin to panic. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I feel like I can't breathe but I'm hyperventilating. My face is tingling and I start to go numb. I want to rip my IV out of my arm and run. But I can't remember where I am, who I am. I'm crossing the line into some kind of hysteria. Breathing heavy and quickly and wheezing, tears spilling out of my eyes. The nurses run over to me and frantically ask if I am okay. I can't reply. The panic is taking over. They shout for help. A doctor and some more nurses come running into my room. One of them mentions alerting Haymitch, the other runs to get another doctor. The doctor who's already there begins to work on me, but I don't register what he does. I can't breathe. I've stopped hyperventilating, only for the breaths to jam in my throat. I think I'm dying.

Good. I think. I hope I'm dying. I don't want to live anymore. Not without her. Not without Katniss by my side.

** Wow. That took me a while! I hope the few who are reading this enjoy it! Sorry for not writing much, I've been busy :( **