*I've gotten a request to keep writing so here is another chapter. Let me know what you think and if you want to read more (otherwise I probably won't write more even though I know exactly where this is going!). Thanks for reading and please, please, please leave a comment I love getting them! :)*
The hovercraft ride seems to last forever. Peeta won't talk to me and there is no way I am starting a conversation with him. I stare out the window motionless, emotionless. What was the Capitol going to do with me? Would they torture me? Kill me for information about District 13? No, they would have blown the whole place up when I was there. They knew where it was. Why didn't they do something then? Didn't they hate me? Didn't they want me dead? They did try to kill me after all and failed twice. My mind centers as the hovercraft lands. Emotionless Katniss. No feeling. No remorse. No guilt. No nothing. The restraints are removed as the door opens from the bottom of the craft allowing me to get out. I step down and Effie greets me immediately. Of course they would have her greet me. So innocent. So stupid. "Katniss!" She gasps, grabbing me in a binding hug, her outfit a sickly green with large overstuffed shoulder pads. She holds me back at arms length. "Oh my, you don't look well! We better have someone fix you up before your interview tonight with Caesar!" I don't say a word as she turns me around facing a large door to a building. I just walk. He heels click lightly on the mirror-like floors.
"Penorious designed your dress tonight Kattniss and I just know you will love it!"
"Who's Penorious?" I begin to say but a large oak door opens just to our right and I feel Effie's grip on my shoulders tighten as she turns me towards the man standing in the doorway. He bows. He is a short and plump man wearing a purple suit with gold shoes. He has a white mustache. He must be the new Cinna I think dully. Effie probably doesn't even know he was killed. I can feel hot tears swelling in my eyes but I try to make them go away.
"Pleasure to meet you Miss Everdeen." Penorious says bowing again. I bow back.
The rest of the day passes in flashes. I try on a silky black gown studded with white crystals, which looks marvelous on me in Effie's opinion and in Penorious' it will do. I know this dress is black to make me out as the bad guy because Peeta is apparently wearing all white to this 'interview'. My body is waxed, and rewaxed until my skin is shining. Then it is polished with an electric tool. I neither complain nor enjoy it. My emotions are turned completely off for once in my life. My hair is conditioned and treated until it shines and is then pulled back in an intricate maze of buns; of course I look quite severe and demeaning. This will probably be my death sentence. But I didn't look too cruel until my makeup was done. Black eye makeup, gold lips, harsh pink cheeks, my face chiseled to look stern, like a reining queen desperate to keep her thrown. I allow it. I allow everything to be done to me. I am tired of running. Even if I were given the opportunity I wouldn't take it. Where would I go? What would I do? The Capitol goes on for miles and would hunt, find and kill me anyway. There was no point. All I could do was wait. Speak my mind at this so-called interview and see if I could side with the people. Despite them loving me two times previous I doubted I could do it again. Caesar had probably prepped the live audience and bad things had been going around about me to the general public. I wouldn't look Peeta in the eye the whole interview I told myself. You would only feed his fire the fuel to burn.
I sat in a red velvet chair behind electric blue curtains waiting for my name to be called. I could hear Caesar Flickerman firing up the audience for a good show. Peeta sat with me. At one point he reached his hand towards mine but I acted like I didn't notice. If I was going to be killed I wanted him to know it was all his fault and I would never forgive him for taking Gale away from me.
"Katniss Everdeen!" I hear Caesar say. I get up, stand tall and knowing full well that the odds are not in my favor, I walk out on the stage. The audience gasps. They think this is what I really look like. I suppress a laugh, as it would come across as demonic and evil. I sit down in the seat offered. Heck, if I'm going to get killed maybe I should try to play this evil thing up a little. I take note of President Snow in one of the upper boxes close to the stage. Caesar begins:
"It is so lovely to be speaking with you again Miss Everdeen. Now I must confess I thought twice was a charm, I suppose I was very wrong. Third time is!" He was clearly putting me out there as though I was going to never see the light of day again and maybe I wasn't.
"It's so great to be back here." I say, my voice dry but I manage a smile. The conversation, or more like interrogation begins. It goes on for hours. I become exhausted with the questions of how I escaped the arena, what District 13 is really like and who likes it. Does it have a functioning government, who is in charge, how do they get food and water, and on and on. Caesar Flickerman never loses interest and neither does the audience. However I am getting tired and despite my glass of water being refilled many times I can't go on much longer.
"If you are planning on killing me, please go ahead already." I find myself saying after seven hours of questions. Caesar looks shocked and laughs.
"My dear, dear Katniss, why would we do that?" The sickly sweet tone of voice makes me want to throw up. Then Caesar stands arms outstretched to the audience.
"Now, who wants to see her burn?" My heart stops in my throat. Wait! What? Burn? Burn? Like with fire? Before I can do anything two large men have a hold of my arms and make me stand. A woman walks out on stage carrying a flame on a stick. This will not end well. Why would Peeta do this? I realize my dress must attract flame because I can feel it getting hotter just because the flame is nearby.
"Now, before we get started," Caesar, says quietly. "Does anyone object?"
"I do!" I hear a voice say in the back of the crowd. Caesar looks shocked, but composes himself quite quickly.
"Nice joke." He sneers turning back towards me. I always thought he really liked us. I guess I was wrong. Suddenly I see someone pushing through the crowd. It's Gale and he is yelling "Stop!"
