CHAPTER 1 Horrible Surprises

Lying on a cold stone floor, curled up, I breathe eager for fresh air since my lungs are already filled with water. I lay out my arms only to sustain myself while I puke the rest of the salt water inside of me, falling then on my back, tired and shocked.

The feeling of sweat blend with blood on my skin makes me raise up in a sitting positio. I can barely keep my eyes open, but I can breath almost normally. Some screams from the cell in front of mine force my hands to my ears, covering them to blur the sound.

They're still torturing him as if he knows something about those stupid rebels. I start screaming too, tears falling from my eyes, gruff words coming out of my mouth, ''Stop! Let him go. Stop!'' The words are stopped by the waves of sobs that shake my entire body, coercing me to crouch down until the prison falls silent again. Notwithstanding my wounds and bruises, I crawl through the cell until the bars.

''Finnick?'' I say under my breath. No sounds. ''Finnick?'' I try to speak a bit louder, but it takes a few minutes for the guy to emit a sound. ''I promise I make you escape from here.'' I tell him.

''You can't Katniss. Once you're in, you will never leave.'' he says numbly.

I take a deep breath, ''I don't care. I will extricate you from here. Someone is searching us, trying to make an escape plan to let us out. But for that moment I will be dead.'' I say firmly.

The young man that since now was in the dark of his death's house, comes on the dim light, ''I will be, too.''

During all the restless hours I thought about how to get out of here, coming to the conclusion that I don't care about myself but that I want so badly Finnick to return home. Anyone will cry my absence, but the District 4's boy has a girl, Annie, to think about and he has to help Peeta overthrown the Capitol. He will be more useful than me. Sometimes I also think about Gale. Will he miss me? No. He loves me, I'm aware of this. But I'm a hunting partner, not much after all. Yes, I prefer viewing the things that way, it a lot better.

''I will volounteer for all your treatments so you can grow energy again and escape easierly.'' I speak with proudness. At least my plan can come to a true end and Finnick can go back to Annie.

''You won't. I can't let it happen.'' he says.

''But you can't do anything to stop me.'' I admit under my breath. His lips contract in a bewilder expression and I can clearly see the lash's wounds on his cheeks and capture his real eagerness of bringing me out with him. We return in the darkness, listening to the moan of the Avoxes down here with us. Lavinia and Darius, the girl who I didn't rescue that day in the woods and the youngest Peacekeeper who defended Gale from the lash of Romulus. I close my eyes, wishing hardly to run back to that day, keep Gale by my side and remain silent about the rebellion issue.

The sound of Peacekeepers' boots wakes me, displaying me another horrible day. Keeping my cheek pressed on the floor, I wait for someone to show up and crawl me to some other tortures. Instead they pick up the Avox who served Finnick and Mags before the third Quarter Quell. This day we haven't seen her anymore. I guess she finally made her escape from life.

It should be nearly evening when someone seize me from the ground and force me on foot, heading me for some new game room. Beated through the awful, dark corridors, I reach a room where I'm heaved in.

There seems to be nothing other than me. I can't see anything so I crouch down, senses watchful, ready to face a new jeopardy. The room is soundless until I can hear a slight sound. I immediately recognise it: it's my dads. I close my lids smiling and then strat to sing with him. Suddenly his voice distorts in a loud scream full of pain. I wander around the room searching for him desperately. Shrieking his name. Tell him I'm here. With his voice appears also a video that shows the explosion of the mine, the one which killed him. I'm knelt with my head in my hands, mute while I'm glued to the screen, trying to run away from all this pain that double me up, but staying still.

The room fall silent again and after a bit of time my sister begins to call me. A request of help. I have to save her, ''Prim! Prim I'm here. Hold on!'' She starts to scream loudly. I'm sure someone is torturing her using some pervert violent method. Then I remember the pink-skyed arena. The jabberjays were singing my sister's moans, but Beetee said they weren't real, they were just computer modified.

I raise up and listen carefully to the horrible sound, avoiding the video where my sister is cut off of her body parts. I'm sure they're watching and I'm making them mad. This makes me smile a little, but this bit of happiness lasts as far as Peeta's voice displaces Prims. I widen my eyes and cover my mouth containing a sound between a moan and a sigh of joy. I haven't heard of him since the arena blew up. He starts to speak in a gentle tone. I answer his questions happy to hear his voice.

''What do you know about the rebel's plan?'' he asks kindly.

I fall silent. Why is Peeta asking me this? He should know already and this makes me suspicious, ''Nothing.'' I answer, hardering my voice.

''Tell me or they will torture me.'' the begging in his sentence almost makes me relent.

''they won't.'' I say firmly. ''You're out of their reach.''

Right in front of me appears Peeta. Sitted on a chair, looking straight into the camera. That looks kinda normal until someone stabs his arm and he cries of sorrow. I stretch out my hand to reach him but the pain in my heart is too much. I see the blood and smell its stench. That's when I collapse to the ground, unconscious.