Katniss P.O.V.
When I wake up, my first thought is that I can't move. I can feel that I'm lying on a hard bed with straps coiled tightly around my arms, legs, torso, and head. I'm completely naked, other than what feels like a paper gown. Am I in the Capitol? I try to open my eyes, but close them quickly when my senses are assaulted by bright white light. I pull on the restraints, struggling to free myself, but wince when a restraint on my right arm digs into the cut that Johanna gave me. Suddenly, I hear movement next to me, and I immediately stop struggling. Someone clears their throat, making me nearly jump out of my skin. My heart rate accelerates rapidly, and I can feel it pounding in my chest. I'm trembling as an unfamiliar voice starts talking.
"Sir, I think she's starting to wake up."
Another voice chimes in. "Took her long enough. She certainly took her damn sweet time waking up. She's lucky that he let her sleep this long."
A shiver runs down my spine. Who are these people? How long have I been asleep? I keep my eyes shut as the first voice starts talking again.
"Let's tell Snow that she's awake and ask him what to do with her." My breath stills when they say Snow. I'm definitely in the Capitol. I listen as both of them turn around and walk out. I feel sick to my stomach. I lie there, scared to death, wishing I was dead, when a horrible thought crosses my mind: Peeta. Oh my god, is he here too? Against my better judgement, I call out his name. When there's no reply, I force my eyes open, ignoring the sting of the bright light, and attempt to look around. I quickly realize that I can't move my head even a millimeter because of the restraint around my skull. I can't see anything except the ceiling, so I call out Peeta's name again and again in desperation until I hear footsteps approaching. I smell him before I see him, when the distinct stench of blood and roses comes wafting towards me. I struggle with the restraints again, feeling helpless as the snake-like man crosses into my line of vision. Snow. He smiles widely when he sees me and the stench becomes unbearable. I start gagging as he opens his mouth to speak.
"Miss Everdeen, what an honor! How was your nap?"
"Where's Peeta?" I ask, still squirming in the restraints.
He raises his eyebrows as a sly grin crosses his face. "Oh, my dear, let's not get ahead of ourselves now. We've got some...business... to take care of first. The more you cooperate, the more we'll tell you. Got it?"
"Fine," I snarl.
"Wonderful. Let's get started now, shall we?" He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a tiny device and starts typing in it. As soon as he finishes typing, he looks up and smiles again. Almost instantly, I hear more footsteps than I can count enter the room. Two men dressed in white start attaching cold, sticky electrodes all over my body.
"What are those?" I ask, my voice shaking.
"Now, now, Miss Everdeen, remember what I told you about cooperating? We are going to ask you a series of questions. If you don't answer honestly, well, let's just say you're going to regret it." Snow says. The other people in the room start chuckling. "Let's begin."
"First of all, are you associated with the Rebels, yes or no?" Asks Snow.
"The Rebels? I don't even know-" I'm cut off as my body is wracked with a blinding pain, worse than anything I've ever felt before. I'm screaming as my face starts burning. My skin is melting, my head is exploding, my limbs are being ripped off, one fiber at a time. Then, it suddenly stops. I'm left heaving, saliva running out of the corner of my mouth, tears streaming down my face. Miraculously, my body is still intact, even though it feels like I was just torn apart at the seams.
"That's what you get for not cooperating, my dear," Snow says annoyed. "You keep having fun spinning your childish tales and we will have fun watching you get electrocuted. Or, you could just answer honestly and avoid this all together. What do you think?"
I grunt in response, still shaking from the pain coursing throughout my body.
"Alright, next question. What do you know about District Thirteen?" Snow asks.
I'm caught off guard. District Thirteen? What the hell is he talking about? District Thirteen doesn't exist. Or does it? Why else would he be asking me? Maybe-
My thoughts are cut off as the unimaginable pain starts again. I scream, a guttural, animal sound. The pain is agonizing, worse than the last time. My entire body is on fire, slowly burning, melting. Stars are encroaching my vision and I hope I'm dying. Then, the white-hot pain stops. As the initial intensity begins to wear off, I realize that I'm lying in a pool of my own urine.
"Don't want to answer? Another shock. I hope you're starting to learn how this little game works," Snow says slyly.
The pain is still throbbing and stinging throughout my body, and I moan before passing out.
I jolt awake as my face is assailed with ice cold water. I sputter and become instantly aware of the ever present pain.
"Another rule. No passing out. You're going to feel every single ounce of pain," says Snow calmly.
"Please," I croak, my voice a whisper.
"Please what, my dear?" He asks.
"Pl..please s-stop," I whimper.
He shrugs. "Okay." He turns to the other men. "She wants us to stop. Let's take her to the other room."
The men nod, and I breathe a silent sigh of relief as they start pulling off the electrodes. My relief is short-lived though, because they start pushing my bed out of the room. They wheel me into another room, this one pitch black. They put me in the center of the room before closing the door, making me wonder what kind of horrors await me. Snow's evil voice penetrates my thoughts.
"Alright, here we go. Same game, different name. Would you please give Miss Everdeen here an idea of what happens if she chooses to not cooperate?"
"Of course, Sir," answers a voice.
*CRACK*
I jump as the noise echoes throughout the room. Was that a whip? It didn't hit me, so they must've hit a wall. Oh shit.
"You shot your arrow into the forcefield so that the Rebels could rescue you, yes or no?"
I know I have to answer, so I answer as honestly as possible.
"No. I saw Beetee's spear by the tree and decided to-"
Suddenly a sharp pain explodes across my legs, then my stomach, then my arms, and almost every other inch of my body. I bite down hard on my lip trying to keep from screaming, but it's not working as an involuntary scream escapes my lips anyway. By the time the whipping finally ceases, my throat is raw and my body stings. I can feel where every single lash hit. Blood is seeping out of the lashes and down my body. I must have at least 20 lashes. Then Snow asks more questions and no matter how I answer, I'm always wrong and whipped mercilessly. This goes on for an eternity before they finally wheel me out of the room and into another. I probably have at least 80 lashes on my body. When we reach the room, I tense up, anticipating what's to come, when something unexpected happens. The men untie me from the restraints and I can move for the first time since I woke up here.
"Don't you even think about running unless you want more of what happened today, only much worse," says one of the men.
I don't think I could run even if I wanted to because I'm so weak. The men pick me up and throw me on the ground, hard. I hear a crack in my chest as I hit the ground, and I can't breathe. I think I just broke a rib. The men just laugh and close the door, bolting it behind them. As I try to catch my breath, I sit up with great difficulty and take in my surroundings. There is a single flickering lightbulb hanging from a chain. The room is tiny and made of concrete. It's cold, damp, and smells like mold. My paper gown has long since ripped, leaving most of my naked body exposed. I start shivering and collapse into a pathetic heap. I land on the side with the broken rib and gasp because my chest starts burning. I can't get comfortable because my entire body hurts. I roll around, trying to find a position that doesn't press on any lashes or my broken rib. I end up just lying on my back and falling asleep out of pure exhaustion.