Mockingjay: Peeta's Story

Three

I feel my lungs let out a strangled scream as my body begins to shake. The liquid trails through my veins, stopping here and there to release the painful stings and burns.

I open my eyes and I see myself and Katniss, in front of the lightning tree in the arena. It's as if I'm watching the scene from someone elses eyes. I see Katniss lean forward and press her lips to mine, and I see her pull away quickly, mumbling the last words we exchanged before she disappears.

I let out another cry, squeezing my eyes shut as the liquid tears through my veins.

"Stop! Stop!" I yell. The burning ceases and I open my eyes. All but two of the Peacekeepers are gone, as well as Killian. I hear some door open above me and suddenly see Snow standing in a room above me, separated by a force-field like the one in the arena. 

"Hello Peeta." He says. I scowl up at him.

"What do you want Snow." 

"Information." I raise my eyebrows.

"I don't have any for you." He grins. 

"Oh Peeta, you must have some idea of what was happening. Let's not lie to each other."

"Why would I lie?" I snap back.

"To protect the rebellion. To protect Katniss Everdeen." He sneers when he says her name. I pull in a breath, half anger and half fear. I can't let him hurt her. I can't let her die. I still have to protect her. I will always have to protect her.

"I don't know anything. So why waste your time? Why don't you kill me now?" He shakes his head.

"It's not that simple. See, Peeta, I have much better ways to use you against her. Just by having you here, now, I'll bet that's driving our dear Katniss mad. I'll bet she'll try anything to get you back. So, if I keep you here, alive, she will come here, and then she will die, as will the Mockingjay, therefore the idea of the Rebellion. Gone. Turned to ash."

"Even if she dies, the districts will still have something to fight for." I state. I half-mean my words. I don't know how we can fight back without Katniss, how we'll continue without the Mockingjay. She has to live so we all can survive, and I know she will fight harder if I'm dead. She'll have all the more reason to kill him. To kill Snow. 

"We'll see about that. Take him to his cell." He slithers away, silently like a snake, and the Peacekeepers unchain my body lifting me up and leading me out of the room. I'm thrust into a dark musky cell, with concrete floors and brick walls. The heavy cement door closes, leaving me in darkness besides a small light bulb on the ceiling. I move my way to the small metal bed, climbing up and laying on my back. 

My body aches as well as my mind. What did Snow mean that he has better ways to use me against her? She can't come here. If she does, she will die. Nothing as kind as death though. He'll have her tortured and mutilated, everyone she loves killed in front of her eyes. I shake my head at the images of her in such agony. 

I drift into sleep, surrounded by memories of Katniss, in the arena and outside of it, good and bad.

~~~~~~~~~

Days passed, turning to weeks, and soon enough it had been almost a month. Everyday the same routine; Peacekeepers pick me up, take me to the musky room, chain me down, and torture me with footage of Katniss, then burning my veins with some kind of poison or something. They do this for at least three to four hours everyday before throwing me back into my cell. 

I learned a few days in that Enobaria, the woman from Two and Johanna had also been captured by Snow. Johanna was in the cell beside mine, and Enobaria was nowhere to be seen. Snow was almost 100% convinced that I knew everything about the rebellion and that I meant to get myself captured or something. 

I wake up from a nightmare, tossing around and shrieking in fear. My body flinches as I rub my eyes while sitting up in the metal bed. I gently touch the welts on my arm, tensing as the painful sensation glides throughout my limbs. Images from the night before race through my head, blinding me.

She runs towards me, not knowing that I'm hidden in the rocks and moss. She leans down, touching a puddle of what must be my blood from the wound on my leg. She stands back up slowly, clutching her bow in her hand, pulling an arrow from her sheath and looking around the rock. I reach out and grab her ankle, making her jump. She looks down at me, pointing her arrow and mumbling something I don't quite catch before releasing the arrow into my chest and walking away.

My eyes fly open and I clutch the edge of the bed. I pull in short pants of breath, trying to clear my mind as I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead with a shaky hand. I feel my body go rigid as I hear a pained scream.

Johanna.

My body leaps towards the wall, pressing my hands to its' cold surface.

"Johanna! Johanna it's okay! You're alright! Don't let him win Johanna! Don't give up!" I yell our usual chant through the wall. Her screams start to calm, then finally cease. I slide down the wall, breathing hard in relief. 

We have to do this for each other often, me more than her usually. In many ways, Johanna is stronger than me, not just physically either. But, like everyone else, she has her moments. The ones that cripple you to your knees and make you feel like you're walking on needles. 

I'm yanked from my thoughts as the heavy cell door opens, two Peacekeepers leading me out again. We walk down the all too familiar hallway, stopping at a door to open it, lead me inside and chain me up. My body still racks with fear every time I enter this room. 

I see Snow in the balcony, sitting on a chair with a drink by his side.

"Let's begin."