Chapter One: The End of the Arena
I knew something was wrong as soon as they split us up. As soon as Katniss was no longer by my side, I could tell something was very wrong. But we let them do it anyway. That's when I see her, standing up at the top of hill. I yell her name and hear her answer in response. I start running toward her, still yelling her name so that I will hear her answer back. So that I know she's still alive. I'm still shaking from watching Brutus kill Chaff and killing Brutus myself. His blood is still all over my hands. I try not to look at them as I try to make my way up to Katniss.
As I get closer I see her fling an arrow into the force field itself. The effect is huge. It's as if it has disrupted the entire arena, which I guess it has. The ground shakes so violently that I can't keep myself balanced and fall to the ground. That's when I see it. A hovercraft pulls Katniss up. At first I think she's dead and my heart falls. But then I realize there was no cannon fired, and then I see it pull Finnick up soon after. I realize we're being evacuated from the arena and I try to get up.
"What are you doing?" Johanna yells from behind me, "Get up! They're coming!"
"Isn't that a good thing?" I yell back, "We need to get out of here!"
"With the right people," she yells back as we try to run toward the hovercraft that's now holding Katniss and Finnick. But then a shadow descends over the two of us and I can hear Johanna screaming. I have no idea what's going on or why getting taken up by this hovercraft is any worse than the other, but how terrified Johanna is by it is starting to scare me. We try to escape the hovercraft but eventually, I feel the claw wrap around my waist and pull me up into it.
When we reach the hovercraft, I understand Johanna's terror. The platform is filled with peacekeepers and capitol officials. The instant we see them, Johanna attempts to jump over the side and back to the arena, but they tase her violently until she's unconscious. This is when I realize what's happened to us. While Katniss and Finnick have been rescued, we have been captured by the capitol. Before I can even move, I feel the Taser in my side, and everything goes black.
Even before I open my eyes, I can feel the bright lights beating down on my face. When I open them, I'm blinded almost instantly. When my eyes adjust to the lights, I look around the room. It's a completely white and blank room. All there is in the room is the bed I seem to be strapped to.
The opposite side of the room seems to be bars, dividing my cell from another. After squinting, I realize that it's Johanna in the opposite bed. On my other side is another empty cell.
"Oh good," I hear from the side. I turn my head to see a peacekeeper standing beside me. "I have someone here who wants to speak with you." When he moves aside, President Snow steps forward.
"Hello Mr. Mellark," he sneers. Instantly I am overcome by the smell of blood on his breath, just as Katniss had described. "You and your little girlfriend have caused a lot of problems for me these past few months." He then stares at me, waiting for a reply.
"What do you want from me?" I ask.
"We believe you have information Mr. Mellark, about what happened in the arena and about the rebels. We intend to get that from you. And as an added bonus, you are Ms. Everdeen's only weakness," he says, "So we're going to use you to break her, or bring her either. Either works for me."
"How exactly do you think that's going to happen?" I snap back at him.
"For the information, we have ways of making you talk. As to Ms. Everdeen, you're going to go into an interview with Caesar in a few moments and demand a cease fire," he says, "We won't air it for a few weeks, but we need to do it now while you still look…good." The way he says this confirms my beliefs that they're going to torture me.
"And if I refuse?" I say.
"Then when Ms. Everdeen finally comes to rescue you, we'll kill her. If you do the interview, we'll spare her life," he says.
"You don't know that she'll come for me," I say, but I can hear the doubt in my own voice." He starts laughing quietly, the smell of blood starts to become overwhelming.
"Oh but I do Mr. Mellark," he says, "I have watched the two of you very carefully and have noticed that there is not one thing you will not to do to protect one another. Once we air your interview in a few weeks, it's only a matter of time before she comes looking. And we'll be waiting."
I have an overwhelming desire to hit him and squirm in my restraints. He laughs again as he leaves the room. When he leaves, a few more peacekeepers come in, remove my restraints, and drag me from the room.
When we return, President Snow is waiting for me. I try to lunge at him, but the peacekeepers tase me again. I can hear him laughing as they drag me back into the bed and strap down the restraints.
"You're not the strongest young man I've ever met," he says when the peacekeepers leave, "I was quite surprised that you were able to survive the games at all. No, you're not very tough, but you do have a way with words, don't you? When Ms. Everdeen sees your interview, she'll be heartbroken that you have apparently given up. And then she'll come running." I don't say anything, but continue to stare at him. He laughs again and signals for a peacekeeper to re enter the room. "You may begin," he says to the peacekeeper, "Let me know when he breaks."
President Snow leaves the room and the peacekeeper pulls me up from the bed and throws me into the wall opposite.
"How did they know how to destroy the arena? What are they planning now?" he asks as he holds me against the wall.
"I don't know," I say and the peacekeeper slams me back into the wall.
"LIAR," he yells, "TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!"
"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING," I yell back. The peacekeeper throws me to the ground and starts punching me, hard. I hear Johanna screaming and I have no idea if it's for me, or if she's being tortured as well.
When I wake up, I can barely breath from the pain. The peacekeeper hadn't even bothered to tie me back in bed after he had knocked me out, and I'm still on the floor where he left me. I pull myself up and lean against the wall. Every bit of my body aches from the beating, and I can see the bruises forming already all over my arms, legs and I'm assuming my face.
When I turn my head, I see Johanna also on the ground near the bars of her cell. I start dragging myself toward her. "Johanna," I whisper as I reach the bars. I reach through them and try to shake her awake. She's been badly beaten as well. "Johanna," I say louder and she begins to stir slightly. When she opens her eyes, she looks more scared than I have ever seen her. I take her hand in mine and attempt to smile. "We're going to get out of here," I whisper, "They're going to come for us." She tries to nod and grips my hand tighter.
Johanna drifts back into unconsciousness, but I don't leave her side. I lean against the bars, my hand still locked on hers. "She's going to come for me."