Peeta's Hijacked Memories~Part 3
A few days pass. My eyes open to the sound of my cell door's hinges squeaking. I don't remember falling asleep, I'm not even sure I did. Looking off to my left as the Peacekeepers move into the cell for me, I notice Lavinia is missing. I frown when I see Johanna gone too. The Peacekeepers hoist me up and march me out of the cell. We go to the same place as yesterday. Portia looks a little bit tired today, no make up has been used to conceal it. I do however think I see a bit of purple and blue that did not belong on Portia's tan skin and makeup that had been applied, but looked like it'd rubbed off.
"Portia, have the hit you?" I ask the chance I get to, when she leans near me to inspect some make up she just applied. She freezes, hesitates only a moment before she pull back and nods once.
"I think that will do it." She looks to the Peacekeepers and nod to them. "You can take him now." She gives me a kiss on the cheek before they take me.
I'm take to a lone room and sat in a chair in front of a camera, Caesar is there also beside me. The room is filled with only Peacekeepers, two camera men, and President Snow. As the cameramen are finishing setting up, Snow comes up to speak with me, only loud enough I can hear.
"Your performance last time was quite a good one, but this one needs to be the best you have ever done, because if you do not convince a cease fire out of the rebels, your little lover and all her little friends in District Thirteen will be no more. Understood?"
I didn't, really. I thought District Thirteen was already destroyed, but then I find myself suddenly hearing Katniss' voice telling me District Thirteen still existed, the Capitol had been lying to us, and I guess she was right. I nod to the president and say nothing else, saving it all for the cameras.
Caesar begins speaking to me and we have a few empty exchanges before Caesar asks me about rumors that Katniss is taping propos for the districts. I knew nothing of this of course, but if she was, good for her.
I give no emotion than causality. "They're using her, obviously," I say. "To whip up the rebels. I doubt she even really knows what's going on in the war. What's at stake."
"Is there anything you'd like to tell her?" asks Caesar. Oh, about a million things Caesar, but where would I start? I wanted to say.
"There is," I say. I look directly into the camera now, pretending I'm looking directly in Katniss' eyes and hope she can see all the things I truly wish to say in mine. "Don't be a fool, Katniss. Think for yourself. They've turned you into a weapon that could be instrumental in the destruction of humanity. If you've got any real influence, use it to put the brakes on this thing. Use it to stop the war before it's too late. Ask yourself, do you really trust the people you're working with? Do you really know what's going on? And if you don't… find out." I see the red light on the camera go off and try to relax in my seat, but I only find myself worrying more.
The president comes back up, "Good work, Mr. Mellark." Snow looks away from me to the Peacekeepers who've flanked me the moment the camera stopped recording. "Take him back," he says simply. I'm grabbed out of my seat and taken back to my cell.
Before I'm thrown in, the Peacekeepers who've held themselves back till now, decide to have the fun they've been so deprived of. I'm hit just about everywhere but my face. I feel myself being lifted off the ground, then something hard connects with my stomach. I'm in a coughing fit when they throw me in, trying to get back the breath I've lost. I fall to the floor still coughing. My mouth fills with an irony liquid and I spit it before I can choke on it, looking at the floor I see the blood spatter onto it. My ears are ringing. I turn over holding my stomach, and see the Peacekeepers leaving, laughing. The constant pain in my stomach is too much. I let my head rest back on the floor as darkness claims me.
When I wake up, I wake up to screaming. Johanna is in the cell beside me either asleep or passed out. The way she looked though, it would probably be better if she were dead. Annie is with her knees to her chest in a corner, rocking, holding her ears tightly. I sit up or try to anyway, but stop when my stomach, my whole body protests in agony. I couldn't move. The screams continue from somewhere off to my side. It must be Lavinia, I think frowning as I stare up at the ceiling, only she could make those screams. I force myself up when a scream is suddenly cut short and look past Johanna and see Lavinia go limp. A minute later, Lavinia is being dragged out of the cell by her red hair, her body beaten and bloody, being pulled along the floor leaving a crimson trail behind her, out the double doors.
"No!" I yell when I realize what's happened. She was only fifteen… That wasn't what I'd meant when I told her it'd be over soon, when I promised her it'd be better soon… Tears spring to my eyes, and for the first time since being brought here, I cry. I let my strong facade break, and crumble around me.
"Shut up, just shut up already!" Johanna moans. I hadn't realized I was still crying. The Peacekeepers return and laugh when they see my cheeks wet with tears. I bury my face in my arms, against my knees. I didn't care, I had good reasons to cry. I look up when I hear a clank in front of me followed by others. Before me I see a tray; of a piece of molding bread and cheese, a small glass of water on the side. Our first "meal" since being here. I didn't care, no matter how much good food I got when I was living in the Victor's Village or when I was in the Games, I still can eat what I used to. Hard, molding bread. Johanna doesn't seem to mind the meal either and Annie doesn't even go near her tray. Enobaria after a while goes to hers and Darius, I'm not even sure he got any. It isn't long later though that the lights shut off. I set down the nearly empty cup of water and lay down, my tears dried on my face. This crying, this pain, taking its toll. My eyes close and I fall asleep.
