Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or any of the plot. The story is Suzanne Collins's, not mine.

A/N: This is my first fanfic! Yay! I am so excited! CC is totally accepted.

Note: This story will be starting in two POV: Peeta's then Katniss's. At least for the beginning, for this to work. It will tell what is happening to Peeta, then Katniss! Simple enough, right?

Peeta's POV:

Darkness. I shudder, and open my eyes. Where am I? And more importantly, where is Katniss? Is she all right? This whole thing is a mess. It is not fair. What is happening? Why was I not told anything?

I bet Katniss was told. She is always told everything, but never me. Why am I so insignificant? I thought we went over this that day in District 11. I thought there were no more secrets….

I take a look at my dank surroundings. It is not a very promising place. There is darkness everywhere, with a dim light in the center of the room. There is barely enough light that I can see my hand in front of my face. Not only that, but it is cold. This room is so ominous, almost without hope…

But there is hope. As long as Katniss is safe, there is hope. She has to be, right? Or else she would be here with me. I hold onto this hope. What else is there to live for?

I look down. I am strapped by the waist into a beige cot. I can tell, even in this lighting, that it has not been cleaned in a very long time. I try to sit up, but the restraints do not allow it. I groan, chilled to the bone. I am clad in a material unknown to me, but it is not retaining any of my body heat. It must be something made by the Capitol.

So I am with the Capitol? I guess that makes sense, and it is probably something I already knew. I hate to accept this, but it is inevitable. The only good thing is Katniss is not with me, so she must be free…but what will become of me?

My thoughts are interrupted when a shadowy figure comes through a door I have not noticed before. As the figure steps closer, I recognize it to be the President. President Snow steps forward, a grin on his face.

"Well, what do we have here?" He says eerily. The lights turn brighter, and I can see him almost fully. Graying hair, puffy lips, and a smirk on his face. It scares me a little, but I try to keep my face as one of composure.

"Now tell me, Peeta, are you going to cooperate?" He asks evilly.

"No." I reply, flatly. No way am I going to help him.

"Ah, Peeta…are you sure? The consequences may be dire." He replies ruefully. "All I need to know is where they are and what their plans are."
"Who?" I ask, with mock innocence. My remark earns me a slap in the face.

"I am not here to play games!" Snow says, his voice rising to a yell.

"Neither am I." I reply, knowing well that I may regret this later. I stare him down, glaring.

President Snow's face shows a flicker of frustration before turning back to a mask of composure. "Very well then." He replies with a smirk. Snow abruptly turns and heads out the door.

No less than seconds later, two more figures come in, one being a man, the other a woman. They walk slowly, ominously towards me.

Once at my side, the woman asks, "Are you sure? One more chance."
I spit in her face.

Growling, the woman replies, "Very well then." She pulls out a lighter.

Just moments later, I am already in excruciating pain. The woman's lighter is burning my arms, my legs, my ears. The man's knife is making deep incisions all over me. I moan as the man pushes the blade in my cheek, slowly cutting its way up my face. More than all, they are both, punching, kicking, slapping at me. Absolute pain, never ending.

Hours and hours it goes on. The pain is so deep, I just want to die. Then I remember, Katniss. Katniss, the whole reason of my existence. I have to keep pushing, I cannot quit. I know they will not kill me, no, that would be too easy. They want my information, but I will not, never give it to them. I laugh silently to myself, knowing I can make this.

The woman raises her eyebrows at me, thinking my laughter means I am ready to give up. I laugh, shaking my head. She sighs, and tries to think of new ways to hurt me. But nothing can work, now that I remember that Katniss is far away, safe and free.