The few days that followed the broadcast battle were some of the worst. I think I only slept a good twenty minutes throughout both days. They tortured me with the black liquid, which burned its' way through my limbs, and they beat me through the long hours of the night.
I only saw Snow a few times through the force-field, watching over me with an angry, yet satisfied sneer as they destroyed what was left of me. I felt flashes of pain in my eyes as the liquid tore its' way through, every flash accompanied by a memory of Katniss, talking, hunting, planning.
They finally let me go a few hours ago, throwing me into my cell and leaving me in the darkness. I have to fight the urge not to fall asleep, sitting up and clutching my head as flickers of the broadcast race behind my eyelids. Katniss went to the bakery, my home, to get directly to me. To get in my head and make me join her and her ridiculous cause. My pulse rises each time she looks at me, into the camera with her Seam grey eyes.
"Peeta? Are you awake?" Johanna pulls me from my thoughts, her voice sounding worried and tired.
"Yeah, I'm awake."
"Okay... Just worried about you. You were almost gone for three days Peeta, what did they do to you?" I sigh.
"They made me give a filmed speech in the square about the districts and the war." I pause, pulling in a painful breath. "Our broadcast kept getting cut off by them, by District 13," I can hear her chuckle lightly through the wall as I continue. My neck twitches and I feel my hands start to tremor... "Propaganda videos were flashing on the screens and it turned into total chaos. Snow fought it for a little while before asking me to give a closing statement to her, so I warned them about the bombing."
"Then they tortured you..." She grows silent, not saying anything else and leaving me in the darkness. Soon sleep approaches, pulling me into its' tidal wave and drowning me in darkness.
~~~~~~~
"Katniss," I pause, looking at her beside me. "I don't know what kind of deals you made with Haymitch, but he made me promises too. So let's not pretend we don't know what's going on." She looks down at her hands guiltily, playing with the sand in her fingers.
I pull the locket over my head, holding it in my hands before opening the sides. My eyes scan over the pictures of Primrose, Gale and Mrs. Everdeen before I set it in Katniss's hands. She sucks in a harsh breath as she looks down at the pictures.
"Katniss, if you die, and I live, I'd have nothing. There's nothing or no one left I care about." I say.
"Peeta..." She whispers, looking up at me from the medallion.
"It's different for you. Your family needs you. I'm disposable to mine." She looks back down at the locket, rubbing her thumb over Primrose's picture. "You have to live, for them." She sighs, closing her fist around the locket and looking back into my eyes.
"But what about you?" She says. Her voice is tinged with worry, a side you almost never see from Katniss. I smile sadly, turning back to face her.
"Nobody needs me." I state simply. I see something flicker behind her grey eyes as she pieces my words together in her head, giving me a small smile accompanied by a short nod.
"I do. I need you." Her voice is firm. I pull in a breath, about to object and argue with her, but she leans towards me, pressing her rough, dry lips to me. She pulls them away, but not far enough, as she rests her forehead on mine. I hesitate only a few seconds before cupping her cheeks and pulling her back to me. I crash my lips against hers, and they move together almost perfectly.
I feel her hand move up to grab mine as I deepen the kiss, as if she needs to hold on to something. I plan to go soon, so I want a proper kiss with the girl I love. I know I love her. I have to, after all of these years of watching her silently. I just know.
I feel this thing stir inside of me, something I felt last year in the cave when we first kissed; this strong, paralyzing need for more that radiates throughout the tips of my soul, of my being.
And I can't let her go.
~~~~~~~
I wake up slowly, my eyes taking their time to open, which confuses me at first, as gentle nights are rare here.
I sniffle, growing more confused, but then receiving flashes of the dream before. I feel hot tears trickling down my cheeks, and I wipe at them, rushed, as I sit up in the metal bed.
All I can think about is whether or not what I just witnessed was real. It doesn't feel real; the kisses, the locket, the way she looked at me, it just doesn't make any sense.
"Johanna, are you awake?" I call through the wall.
"Yeah. What's wrong?" She asks.
"How many days has it been since they took me last?"
"Almost five why? You slept almost all day when you came back, it'd been three days."
"Okay..."
"Peeta what's wrong?"
"Nothing." I say, turning my attention away from Johanna, and into my head, trying to figure out the things bouncing around in my brain.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I spend the morning laying down and trying to figure out the memories, trying to order them the right way. Yet, my thoughts are again interrupted by Peacekeepers.
They lead me towards a different room this time, chaining me to the chair in front of a black wall or window or something. I don't question it, just sit patiently for President Snow to slither in front of me with something to say. But he never shows. Instead, the window is uncovered and I see a girl, a familiar girl shackled to a chair.
She was one of our servants in the first games. Lavine. Lavier. Lavinia. Her name was Lavinia. She had long red hair, coppery, and dark brown eyes. Eyes that burned into mine with fear and pain.
The chair makes a loud buzzing sound, and I hear a pained scream leave Lavinia's mouth. Her body shakes for a moment before falling limp in the chair. Dead.
The Peacekeepers lift her body up out of the chair and carry her away, covering the window with the black cover. It opens minutes later, with another familiar face. Darius.
I've seen him tortured for a few days now. He sits in the room, shackled to a different chair. I hear guards asking him questions that he doesn't know the answers to, but even if he did, he can't even answer them. Horrible animalistic noises escape his throat, echoing around the empty room. The guards hit him over the head with what looks like a gun, knocking a tooth from his mouth.
Darius is missing half of his leg and almost all of his fingers and toes. The guard swings a machete over Darius' foot, severing it almost immediately. A loud strangled scream escapes him and I try to turn away when hands cup my face, forcing me to look forward. Another scream escapes Darius as the machete slices over his wrist, his large hand dropping to the floor into a bloody mess. I see Darius' eyes roll back into the whites and his body finally go limp.
Then the cover returns over the window. I feel my body shaking, and the events replay in my head. I hear Darius's screams and I see Lavinia's pain-filled eyes. The Peacekeepers lift me out of the chair and practically carry me back to my cell, throwing me to the concrete floor.
Everything screams in my dreams that night.
~~~~~~~~~~
I wake up to loud clamoring outside of my cell. I jump out of the bed, banging the wall next to me for Johanna.
"Johanna! What's going on?" No answer. "Johanna!" My cell door swings open and I'm blinded with light. I swing my hands up to cover my eyes, squinting at the bodies in front of me.
Four men stand in the doorway, all holding guns in their arms. None of them look familiar, but then one stands out. His short, dark hair, matching grey eyes. He steps forward, but is pushed back by the tallest, bulkiest looking man, who walks towards me.
"My name is General Boggs. We're here to take you back." The man says.
"Take me back? Where?" I ask.
"We don't have much time. I will explain everything on the hovercraft. Now, we need to get out of here." He says, taking my arm and pulling me forward. I don't object, just follow.
Boggs leads us out of the cell hall and through a dark, musty tunnel, where I'm again soon blinded by light. But it's sunlight. I drink in the warmth, the real warmth I haven't felt for a month.
'C'mon Peeta. We have to hurry." Boggs shouts, leading us into a hovercraft that takes off as soon as the last man is inside. I'm seated next to Boggs and another soldier in the craft, sitting a moment before freezing.
"Johanna. Where's Johanna." My voice is strong as I look at the men. One of them stands up, leading me towards a small compartment. Boggs follows us into the dark room. My attention is caught by movement in the corner of the room. I look over to see Johanna, speeding toward her.
My mouth gapes as I register the ways she looks. Her hair is all shaven off, except a small strip down the middle. Scars litter her scalp, along with what look like burns and welts. She has dark circles around her eyes and bruises all over her neck, chest and arms. She looks awful.
"Johanna. Johanna are you awake?" I ask her. She moves a little bit, stirring and opening her eyes.
"Peeta? Where are we?" She sits up, against my objections, and cradles her head.
"I don't know. We're on a hovercraft-"
"We're on our way to 13 right now. You two are going to be safe now." Boggs interrupts.
"Thirteen?" Johanna asks, looking from me to Boggs. "And who are you anyway?"
"My name is General Ty Boggs. I work in District 13 with the President-"
"Who is that?"
"Her name is President Alma Coin. She grew up in 13 and became President a little over twenty years ago. She sent us to rescue you after Katniss Everdeen had... what you could call a "meltdown" while filming a propo." He says. I feel my body tense and burn with pain and anger. Katniss. I'm going to have to see her.
And when I do, I'll finally kill her.