Dahlia didn't know where she was. And she didn't know how long she'd been there. She didn't even know if it was day or night. But she did know that she had been separated from the other Victors. She did know that she could hear their piercing screams from her darkened cell. And she knew that Snow hadn't forgotten about her. She had only been spared thus far from any torture because he had other plans for her, this she was certain of.
They had left her alone with nothing but her own mind, a dangerous and destructive place for Dahlia to reside. She was never normally this solitary, usually having Alaric or Finnick nearby to rescue her from her thoughts. But Alaric is dead and Finnick... She doesn't even know where he is. Is he alive? Dead? Had he been the one to abandon her? Was he glad to be rid of her? Left to her own devices, her worries and fears overpowered any other emotion. Her darkest demons had come out to keep her company, toying with everything she thought she knew. Suddenly nothing seemed to make sense and everyone was against her. She couldn't trust people, not anymore. She couldn't even trust herself.
Like clockwork the peacekeepers would march up and down the corridors escorting prisoners to and from their cells. The sounds of sobbing for help and scuffing feet became as constant as the agonised wails, a twisted melody to remind the captives of the hell they were in. But not once did the soldiers stop at Dahlia's door. It was a cruel waiting game, wondering when her time would come. When would Snow grow bored of his other playthings and seek a more satisfying target? It seemed that day was today.
The heavy boots came to a halt outside her door, the lock clicking as light finally flooded into the cell for the first time since she had arrived. Dahlia's eyes squinted as they were exposed to the harsh fluorescents but the peacekeepers gave her little time to adjust before they were storming inside. Roughly gripping her arms, they forced Dahlia to her feet and dragged away from her cell.
They led her along a blinding white corridor with glass cells lining the walls. She passed many of her fellow tributes, some in worse shape than others. Enobaria seemed unharmed, reclining comfortably in her cell like she was on a relaxing vacation. Johanna was not so lucky. The poor girl's body was twitching uncontrollably, as if she was being shocked with electricity. Her skin was stretched thinly over her bones and her vibrant, fiery eyes were dull and lifeless. The sight made Dahlia's fists clench in anger. What the fuck had they done to her?
Peeta wasn't faring much better. Dark circles had become a permanent feature under his eyes and he seemed to be paranoid of things around him, even though there was nothing in his cell. But the biggest shock of all for Dahlia, was spotting a mane of vivid red locks hanging limply against the frame of a quivering girl.
"Annie?" Dahlia whispered quietly, her throat hoarse and gravelly from lack of use. But still, the redhead heard the familiar voice and whipped around to face her. Unfortunately, Dahlia's guess had been correct as it was the Cresta girl who sat behind the glass confinements. She gasped out in horror at her presence in the Capitol, "Annie."
"Dahlia." Annie cried out in both relief and terror. She hadn't known if the Victor had been alive after the Game's abrupt end, so she was glad to see Dahlia had made it out of the arena. However, death would've been a far more merciful outcome than what would become of them.
But Dahlia was stricken with confusion and shock. Why was Annie here? She had nothing to do with the escape or the revolution. She wasn't even part of the Games thanks to Mags' noble sacrifice. What could Snow possibly hope to gain from her?
"No! What is she doing here?" Dahlia exclaimed to the peacekeepers who paid her no mind. Grunting in annoyance, she dug her feet into the ground and started to fight back against them. "Why is she here? She's innocent!" She declared furiously, thrashing in the soldiers' hold as she tried to tug her arms from their clutches. They only readjusted their grip, clasping tight enough to leave bruises on her skin as they pushed her down in submission. Dahlia refused to be subdued so easily and continued to struggle as they hauled her along. "You worthless cunts! She's innocent! Let her go!"
Though her shouts could still be heard as she was carried away, the demands fell on deaf ears and she was soon yanked past the room where the tortured screams were most prominent. Where were they taking her? A pit of dread settled in her empty stomach, her trepidation increasing with each step the peacekeepers took. Snow had a much bigger plan in store for her, something Dahlia never could've imagined.
Finally, they came to a stop outside an ominous metal door and thrust her into a large grey room. Numerous Capitol scientists glanced up at the girl as she was forced forwards, none seeming particularly warm or inviting towards her. Gulping nervously, she instead focused on the new surroundings, trying to work out what they were planning to do to her. It would've been a lifeless and uninteresting space if it weren't for the sinister-looking machine planted directly in the middle of the floor. That immediately caught Dahlia's attention, especially as she started to be led towards it.
The scientists cleared a path as she was dragged past them, body frozen in fear at the mechanical monster leering at her. She tried to hide the terror on her face and she did a good job until a pathetic whimper tumbled from her lips. Stifling any further cries, she kicked and pulled, doing anything she could to avoid being tormented by this mysterious machine.
In the end, her attempts were futile and the peacekeepers held her down in a cold metal chair while the scientists strapped her in tightly. With her arms and legs restrained securely, the soldiers backed away from the volatile girl and headed to the door.
"She's ready for you, sir." One of them stated stiffly to a man standing outside, blocked from view by the concrete wall.
"Excellent." A chilling voice replied, causing Dahlia's body to go rigid in her shackles. Snow is here, she realised and her panic increased tenfold. Then the man himself stepped over the threshold, a smirk quickly finding its way to his face as he noticed Dahlia's weakened state. "Ah, Miss Blossom. What a pleasure it is to see you again." Dahlia normally would've quipped back with a sarcastic comment, but her voice seemed to have deserted her along with her confidence. "You seem to have lost your spark, my dear. Could it have anything to do with being abandoned by your allies?"
"They didn't-- They didn't abandon me." Dahlia replied unsurely, not believing any of the words coming out of her mouth. She'd had hours of time to recall the betrayal she felt as the hovercraft flew off without her and Snow knew it.
"Don't lie to me, Miss Blossom." Snow reprimanded her sharply, instantly seeing through her unconvincing facade. "It disrespects the relationship of trust we've built over the years."
"I don't trust you." Dahlia snapped harshly before her mind could stop her. She had to remind herself that she was not the person with power in this situation and she needed to bite her tongue before it was cut out.
But Snow didn't look at all affected by her words, rather he seemed amused by the outburst. His expression was annoyingly smug as he replied, "And yet I'm not the one who left you behind." Dahlia's face fell as she acknowledged the truth in his words. The revolution made her promises they didn't keep, yet Snow was the one who rescued her from the arena. "I am not here to interrogate you, Miss Blossom--"
"I'm finding that hard to believe." Dahlia retorted with a flat tone, motioning to the collection of scientists gathered around her and the metal cuffs locked around her limbs. "I wasn't exactly given a warm welcome."
Snow chuckled humourlessly at her deadpan attitude and explained, "Just safety precautions, I'm afraid."
"And you said we've built up a relationship of trust?" Dahlia pointed out, one eyebrow raised in challenge towards the man as her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "So why am I here?"
"You're here because the revolution didn't want you." Snow answered bluntly, making a pang of hurt pierce Dahlia's heart. With one simple sentence, he had destroyed the hope she'd spent days feeding. The hope that they would come back for her. The hope that Finnick would come bursting through the barriers of her darkness and return her to the light. It had been the only way to keep herself from spiralling downwards into despair and chaos. But she was only kidding herself. Snow was right. No one was coming to help her. "They left you behind because of what you are... A killer... a mad woman. They don't want someone like that in their ranks..." Snow's words were cruel and spiteful, but Dahlia believed them to be true. Why else would they leave her? "But I do. I want you, Miss Blossom." Dahlia's head snapped up to meet Snow's calculating stare, somehow finding herself lured in by the temptation of someone actually wanting her, needing her. "I want the Black Dahlia."
How could she be stupid enough to believe that anyone would want her? Not even she wanted herself. It's always the Black Dahlia they want. The character she had created as a young teen desperate to return to her family. If she had known back then that she'd be second to this persona, she would've let the Careers kill her in that arena.
"That's not who I am." Dahlia argued in an unusually meek voice, feeling small under Snow's cold eyes.
"I told you not to lie to me." Snow reminded her with a pointed look of disappointment. "You are the Black Dahlia, Miss Blossom, no matter how much you deny it. That's who you've always been." Snow motioned to a screen nearby which flashed to life with footage from the Games. Dahlia was forced to watch as her eyes darkened with each life she took, a satisfied smirk resting on her face as she slashed throats and cuts through skin. Her brutality and ruthlessness is reminiscent of bloodthirsty Careers, unafraid of the guilt that came with killing. The proof of her insanity was there all along. "Still unconvinced?"
The screen went dark and Dahlia was left staring at a reflection of herself. The haunted eyes of a girl whose conscience was littered with corpses and a soul broken by blood and betrayal. Maybe she was always meant to be a killer without a heart? Maybe it's who she's been all along... But Finnick knew she was more than that. She didn't have a heart because she'd given it to him, the source of her happiness, the reason behind every smile. Dahlia was a better person with Finnick, so she wanted to be a better person for Finnick.
"I don't want to be the Black Dahlia." Dahlia stated firmly, more confident in this answer than she'd ever been. "I swore I'd be better than that for the people I love."
"Which loved ones are these?" Snow asked through a repressed snarl, irritated by her refusal to submit. "The dead ones... Or the one who left you behind?" All hints of warmth were removed from his tone, revealing the cold and bitter man beneath. His venomous tongue spat this harsh question at Dahlia, leaving her heart stinging from the poisonous intent. "Your weakness always was your love for others. Even when I tried to take them away from you, you continued to deny who you truly are." Snow's voice grew louder yet more menacing as he advanced on the girl with a savage glint in his eye. "Your emotion makes you human... I want to take that away." Stepping back, he gestured for the scientists and doctors to take over, the machine powering up with a whirring growl. "Enjoy the memories of your loved ones, Miss Blossom. You won't remember them much longer."
Dahlia's face drained of all colour as Snow turned around and stalked to the exit with a triumphant chuckle. Two panels descended on either side of her head, clamping tightly against her temples as her breathing picked up.
"Snow!" She yelled out in distress, tugging frantically at the restraints to try and get free. The solid metal would not budge and Snow ignored her shrieks as he casually left the room. "No! Snow, you sick bastard!"
"Prepare the mind-wipe." One of the doctors announced as Dahlia's chest heaved with panicked breaths. "Five..."
No, please.
"Four...
Don't let me forget him.
"Three..."
His voice, his eyes, his smile.
"Two..."
Please don't let me forget his love.
"One."
Finnick!