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BURN MARKS cover Thana's complete arms, she had at least tested 4 of Doctor Marly Anderson's fire resisting creams. Well, they should be fire resistant, but they are not. The last one did, however, keep the fire at bay for 1 minute, which is progress. But for Thana's arms the progress is way too slow. Luke Wells had held his end of his deal, he would only visit her to either get her to room 1008, or to ask if she is ready to talk. He isn't physically hurting her anymore, but her food rations are becoming smaller every time he visits with a plate.
Something in the guilt written girl tells her that the ending is nearing. She couldn't hold on much longer, besides she knew a second session with gas was coming closer and closer. Doctor Anderson hints at it every time Thana visits her experimental room. Nausea still in the girl from the last time she had been stuck in that mask. She knows at least another month has passed since they increased the torture. Her value as victor diminishing with the day, she feels it, she hears it in the little snippets of conversation she catches between Wells and Anderson before she passes out from the pain. Soon, soon she would be nothing more than a shell of the person she once was, soon she would probably be publicly lynched for her alliance to the Mockingjay. Soon she would be unsavable, unlovable, nothing more than a body without a soul. Her brain was suffering so much, the constant sensations in her arms with a single movement made her want to scream out in agony. Scream like she does when she wakes up from her terrible night tremors. Yes, fire is catching; she overheard Luke complaining about that sentence repeatedly to his brother. Katniss said it, and Thana couldn't agree more. Only the fire is going to swallow her and hopefully relief her of whatever the Capitol is doing to her.
"Are you ready?" Luke asks, helping Thana stand. Her body was no longer able to hold itself up. "Doctor Anderson is waiting for you." He sighs, a lifeless expression on the girl's face, "it is the last session before she has to write a report for president Snow."
A report, on what? How nothing she is testing is working? How Thana's arms slowly turn into a landscape with rivers and mountains? In what way she can overwhelm Thana with pain? A report her ass. Doctor Marly Anderson is nothing more than a torturer, one that needs fire and poisonous gas to fulfil her task.
"I don't think I will ever be ready," Thana's voice is hoarse, you can barely recognize it in comparison to before the quarter quell. The continuous screams affecting the vocal cords. No, if Ceaser Flickerman would interview the girl now, he would be in shock. The dark circles around her red eyes, the tremors in her in her hands, the coughing and most importantly, the scars that litter her body as if it is art on a canvas.
"You could always open your mouth, tells us everything you know," the man says, hoping to safe the girl from further torture.
Thana shakes her head, "nothing I would say would save me from this treatment. It never has." Her hand on the white as snow wall, leaving a dirty handprint on the door to her cell.
Luke stays silent, sadly agreeing with the girl. If she had told, she would have been tortured or worse for her rebellion and no one would want to save her. She would have enemies on both sides of the war.
...
Thana doesn't know how long she sits in the chair before her body shuts down. Welcoming the darkness with open arms, though tears stream down her face. If anything, she hopes to wake up one more time, to at least see the face of Johanna once more.
"Thana" a soft voice breaks Thana from her thoughts. There are two soft pats on her head. "Please open those eyes and look at me Thai." Tearful eyes meet each other, as the girl opens them and looks up into sad green eyes she recognizes out of thousands.
"Hey little bro," Thana pushes herself up and opens her arms, the boy falls into them. "I have missed you so much." Her arms tightening around his body.
Latif smiles at his sister. "And I you, sis." He wipes away a tear on Thana's cheek. "You have no idea how happy to be able to hug you one more time."
The girl relaxes and smiles genuinely at the boy. "And you never have to leave again." She kisses the younger boy at his temple. "We can stay like this forever." Her hold on the boy tightening again. "I do not want to leave you again."
Latif shakes his head, "you are not to stay here Thai," he smiles sadly at his sister's widened eyes. "It is not your time yet. Our family needs you, but most importantly," he smiles gleefully, "Johanna needs you and you need her."
Thana cheeks redden at the mentioning of Johanna, "our family needs you way more."
"You and I both know that is a lie," the boy kisses his sister's forehead, "they need you just as much, and they love you just as much. Even mom." He smiles softly at his sister one more time. "Wake up Thana." He rests his forehead against her for a split moment, "you need to wake up."
...
"It is always my fault," Thana says as the door to her prison cells opens, "isn't it?" Her hands trilling as she tries to control the movement. "Don't even try to disagree." Her eyes looking at the figure at the door. "Tell Snow he can kill me in front of whole Panem before I open my mouth to tell him anything."
"He would like that yes," a rough voice answers as the dark figure walks further into the room. "But we would lose our Mockingjay."
Thana pushes her body as far away from the man, not recognizing the stranger. "Who---" her eyes look around frantically, "who are you?"
"I am Boggs," the man says, carefully making his way to the tortured victor. "I am from district 13, and I am here too safe you." His dark eyes looking sadly at the girl. "Rohan asked me to personally get you out of here, Thana." He holds a hand out before the girl. "So, are you coming with me, Thana Jardin?"
"You promise this is not a set up from the capitol?" The victor fearfully asks, trusting no one anymore. "How can I know you are telling the truth?"
Boggs smiles sadly. "I cannot show you I am telling the truth, but I promise you that our mission is also taking the other victors, and I am bringing you to Rohan."
Reluctantly, the girl takes the man's hand, letting him pull her up as she rests her full body weight against him before he raises her from the ground and carries her out of the room into the hallway.
...
Nora speaking here! Sorry for the late update...
Anyway, guess who is finally being rescued from the capitol? And I got to introduce Boggs. I love him in the movies (don't remember him a lot from the books) Boggs is precious and I know he and Rohan got along well enough for Rohan to ask him to get our darling Thana safely to district 13. Also, we got a little of Latif. And he tells her she is loved <3
Another note, there is only one more chapter after this one of this act :) Next act we will dive into life in district 13, the traumas, sadly Coin, Finnick and Annie <3, and obviously the unofficial 76th hunger games.
Thanks for reading my story, much of love from me <3
