Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.
After I passed out, I awoke in a different room. That is where I am now. There is a large screen in front of me. The room is dark, except for a light shining down on me. It blinds my eyes, and I can't see my surroundings. There are tubes hooked up to my arms and bare chest, and wires connected to my head.
"Hello again, Mr. Mellark." Hearing that voice sends shivers down my spine. Lucky for me, my barbed wire restraints were replaced with leather, so they didn't dig into my skin. How thoughtful of my host to think of that for me.
"Don't be afraid, Mr. Mellark. I am here to help you."
I nearly laugh at that statement. "Like hell you are," I growl.
Without another word, Snow pushes a button on the remote in his hand, and the screen in front of me bursts into life. At the same time, I feel something ooze into my veins, but I can't figure out what it is. My vision becomes…shiny. My mind becomes cloudy. I know that it has to do with the tubes connected to my arm, but I can't piece it together.
I clench my teeth tightly, trying to keep my mind focused, and turn my attention back to the screen. A familiar scene is playing out in front of me. I see Katniss and I in the cave from our first games.
"You have an amazing memory," she said.
"I remember everything about you. You're the one who wasn't paying attention," I replied.
"I am now."
"Well I don't have much competition here."
I know the next words that come out of her mouth, and I'm wondering why Snow is showing me this video.
"You don't have much competition anywhere," she says before leaning in to kiss me.
I am completely confused. Why has Snow made my mind foggy, and why is he showing me this? I keep watching the screen, feeling a want – no, a need – to kiss Katniss' lips again. Seeing it on screen makes me feel completely broken inside, knowing that I will never be able to see her face again. A few tears start to roll down my face. Is this why Snow is showing me this? To break me? To show me what he's taken from me? That bastard.
That's when I notice the scene take off on a path I don't remember. I mean, I remember that we alternated keeping watch at night, and I remember that she made me rest a lot because of my leg.
I'm sleeping in the cave, and Katniss is keeping watch. She sits down next to my sleeping form, and pulls a knife from her bag.
"I'm going to kill you in your sleep, Peeta. Be thankful that it's not while you're awake. It'll be less painful this way. Did you really believe that I love you? You're slowing me down. You're a burden. I need to make it home to my sister, Peeta. I wish I was sorry, but she is more important to me than some merchant."
With that, she raises the knife with two hands above my chest.
My heart is beating twice its normal rate. This didn't happen! I know it didn't! I mean…There were times when I was asleep, so I don't know what was happening during that time, but Katniss would never do this! She loves me! Doesn't she?
A cannon goes off outside the cave. This startles Katniss into dropping the knife harmlessly on the cave floor.
The screen goes dark. My vision is still blurry, and everything still seems shiny. I notice that Snow has been watching me this entire time, standing off to the side. He has a smile on his face.
"I told you I'm here to help you, Peeta. She never loved you. She wanted to kill you. She still wants to kill you, why else do you think she joined with the Rebellion and left you in the arena? She wants you dead, Mr. Mellark."
"No! It's not true! I refuse to believe it!" I can't control the tears that come streaming down my face.
"Good night, Mr. Mellark." Whatever was causing me to feel lightheaded and make everything seem shiny has mentally drained me. I quickly lean to the side, expelling whatever bits of food are in my stomach from my body. I continue dry heaving until I feel something else oozing through the tubes into my bloodstream, and I fall into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.
