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ACT V
CHAPTER LXIII
the new treatment of the Capitol
ROOM 1004, A room next to room 1002 and across from 1003. Mr. Wells had said that she was the last to join and the other three rooms were already occupied for a day. Thana easily understood what to expect from Snow. She would be tortured for information on the plan of the victors who escaped the Capitol after the games. And undoubtedly, she was here with the ones who didn't get out. She silently begs for Johanna and Finnick to be safe from the Capitol, safe in district 13.
Thana's room, room 1004 is another sterile room, it holds a very small and hard bed, a sink, and a toilet. The luxury the Capitol once represented blown away with these essential things only. Thana has never been in the small prison with a few cells under the justice building in district 9, but something in her tells her that they are even worse than her room. That those cells are smaller, colder, grimmer, and dirtier.
With a push, Mr. Wells pushes the just healed girl into the room. Thana winces as she falls hard at the unexpected force the man used. Behind the man, the door closes. Thana sees that close to the ceilings there are small openings on 3 sides. The lights seem the flicker a little bit as Mr. Wells comes closer to the fallen girl. Not soft yellow light that she is used to and comes from candles, no bright white lights which are a signature of the Capitol. White lights that always blind her, always pushed into her face for pictures, always lighting her up on stages. Always on by the streets in forms of billboards who usually bear hunger games propaganda or victors.
"Get up," The man spits in her face. Thana slowly pushes her body up to stand. "Good," the man continuous. "I am Luke Wells, but you will call me Mr. Wells. Understood?" Thana quickly nods at the man, he isn't taller than her, but he feels so much larger than her. "Good," the man says again, "I will come for a visit a few times a day." Mr. Wells briefly looks at his watch with a smirk, making Thana's hand go to her neck, where her pocket watch is missing. The pocket watch she handed to Beetee for their plan... her precious gift from her father, Thana hopes it is safe with Beetee in district 13. Waiting on her, waiting to return to the Jardin family. "These visits might increase, unless you start to talk."
"Talk about what?" With a smack, Thana lands on the floor again. Her question still echoing through the room.
"You know on what!" Mr. Wells stands threateningly above the victor, "your victor status is worth nothing in here!" He motions for the girl to get up again. "So, let's start again." He circles Thana as if he is a vulture. "I see Doctor Sanderson did a good job on patching you up." He nods slowly, "if you don't talk, it will be all for nothing."
"The Capitol became a very nice place I see," Thana raises her eyebrows before she lands on the floor again, letting out a grunt of pain. "Very welcoming indeed."
Luke Wells puts his foot on Thana's shoulder, "Did I ask you anything?" he applies pressure, receiving a small scream of pain. "Did I ask you anything?"
"No," Thana says grunting in pain, trying to push his foot away, but she is unsuccessful.
"That is what I thought." He grins devilishly applying even more pressure, "but do continue and I have gotten a punching bag that is alive from the president himself." He points to just above the door, and there right there, the snake like eyes from President Snow look down on her. "His picture will make sure you know with who you are dealing. With the Capitol!" He smacks the girl in the face and then forces her to look at him. "We have dealt with your kind before, and we will claim the victory again and again. You can't escape us!" As he let's go from her face and shoulder, he stomps into her stomach, making Thana shriek. "You will always loose!" Mr. Wells rants on, hitting the girl with his foot a few more times. "So, you might as well use that pretty mouth to say useful things that can get you out of here."
"What do you want to know?" Thana says, trying to keep her eyes focused on the man, trying to keep herself awake.
"How is it possible," Luke Wells start, "that your kind destroyed the arena and disappeared?"
"I wouldn't know," Thana blinks as the lights become brighter, "I don't think I was conscious when everything happened and made me end up here. With all of you thinking that I am a traitor."
"You are a traitor to the Capitol," Mr. Wells applies pressure to her shoulder again. "We know you and the others of your little alliance where up to something."
"As you remember," Thana tries her best to keep her breathing even, "I joined them later."
"Yet," the man grins in her face, "your actions speak differently." He says, "why else would you attack your ally with another ally? We know you know things. So, spill."
"I think I have spilled enough blood," the girl mummers, receiving another blow to her face.
"Get up!" he orders the girl; Thana weakly gets herself to stand again. Only to receive another fist into her stomach. One that is followed by one against her head.
Spinning the girl goes down, falling straight on the other side of her face. She screams it out as the man grabs her hair and pulls her up again. Her head still spinning and her body hurting from everything.
"I'll be back later," he sneers into her ear, dropping her head so it lands hard onto the floor again. Giving the girl another stomp into her back, laughing at her cries as he leaves room 1004.
...
It takes Thana quite some time to get up again, once she reaches the bed her head starts to spin again. Let me just close my eyes she thinks, but as she wants to do so, she hears a door open. She looks up, only to see it isn't her door. The girl winces at the loud sound it makes when it closes again. Nothing could have prepared her for this, she wouldn't have believed anyone telling she would be here right now.
"Peeta, Peeta, Peeta," she hears a sing-song voice from the room right next to her. Thana hearts drops, the nice, kind, and loving Peeta who knows nothing about it doesn't deserve to be here at all. "Wakey, wakey." Tears appear into her eyes as she hears the boy cry out in pain. A strong urge to protect the boy comes up again, the sweet Peeta who reminds her of who she tries to be. Peeta who reminds her of Latif who she lost not even a few weeks ago.
"Ready to speak of play?" The voice so hard that the person could be standing right besides Thana. "With one word only, we could upgrade you back to your old quarters."
"I didn't know what happened or that there even was a plan," Peeta stammers slightly, telling the truth. Thana knows it, everybody on board of the plan knows it.
Thana winces as she hears a loud slap. "Wrong answer boy." Boy Thana thinks, of course, Latif was only 18. And Katniss and Peeta are still in the age to be reaped. Just like Latif had been, only the star-crossed lovers from district 12 are only 17 years old. The age she was when she entered her games.
"Time to play," the booming voice on the other side of the wall wakes Thana from thinking about the games, "I am sure you will like this."
...
Nora speaking here
I am crushed, I feel so sad for Peeta, Johanna, Annie and Thana. Especially Peeta and Annie who weren't even aware of the plan.
So I am crying, and sorry if I am making you cry.