When I imagined what would lie in the unknown or room 133, I would've never fought. I would've gave in and let them do what they wanted. The torture that lay in this room was beyond my wildest dreams. After being in there, I will never be the same. I didn't even think it was possible, but apparently, it is.
I was heaved into a large room then the door was shut. What the hell? They're locking me in a room, that's it? Wow, sooo terrible, I'm shaking. I scanned the room around me. It's a trap, Finnick. They want you to think it's nothing. Watch yourself. I took in the huge surroundings, hospital-white walls and tiles. I noticed that there was another room around the corner. Don't go Finnick, don't. You've seen the movies… the person who looks in the obvious place, dies. Listening to my thoughts, I decide to stay put in front of the locked door. Suddenly, I hear the ear-piercing tone of the P.A system.
"I hope you'll like my little… surprise, Mr. Odair." President Snow's voice crawls through the speaker on the ceiling. "Go ahead and look around the corner. I bet you were wondering where she was all this time you were locked up here…" I cock my head to the side. Where she was? Who was he talking about? As if reading my thoughts, Snow adds "Annie." My eyes widen and I run, against my better judgment, full speed to the room and around the corner. I felt like I was in one of those horror movies where you keep running but the hallway keeps stretching out in front of you and it seems you're going nowhere. 'Annie!' I want to scream, but I can't. I still can't. Damn, this voice eliminating stuff is effective. Finally, after what seems like hours, I reach the end. I snap to the left and find myself smacking into a thick glass wall. What the… My thoughts are abruptly cut off as I see her. It's Annie, all tied up in a chair with a set of 2 peacekeepers beside her. She looks terrified, horrid and utterly petrified. I bang on the glass wall with my fists but she can't hear me. Suddenly I realize what this is. It's a mirror on Annie's side, but see-through on mine. I slide down, falling on my knees in front of the wall and start to cry. How did she get here? Why is she here? Why do they have her captive? Why can't she hear my hitting the glass? Surely she can. Maybe she can't look. Maybe she can't acknowledge I'm there or they'll hurt her. Have the already hurt her? I take another glance at the glass. Of course they have. My heart sinks as I eye the long, deep gashes along her face, blood oozing from them. I see the sleeve of her once-white shirt has been soaked red. I try again, kicking, punching and screaming silent sobs at the glass but I get no reaction from Annie. I don't stop. I will get her attention. She has to know I'm here, I'm fighting for her. I smash the glass, ignoring the cracks as my knuckles begin to weaken and eventually break. But still nothing. After a while, I must stop because my hands are nothing but a pile of broken bones. I jump as I feel arms wrap around my waist and my neck, constricting me. I squirm around, trying to get out of the forceful grip, but fail.
"Calm down Finnick." I hear a familiar feminine voice speak. I don't care how familiar it is though, I struggle in the hold and surprisingly, the voice lets go. "Finnick, you have to stay still." The voice echoes. The room begins to slant at an uncomfortable angle and I feel myself staggering to the side of the room. I feel sick and nauseous. I turn away from the voice and whipping the drops of perspiration from my forehead. It was super hot in this room, not to mention the fact my wife is getting tortured right in front of me and I can't do anything, and I feel like I just woke in a hangover. What did she do to me? What is happening? "Just relax, Finnick." Suddenly I recognize the voice. Katniss? What the hell is she doing here? What the hell is she doing to me! She turns me around in so she's facing me then backs me up to a wall. "Oh Finnick. Look what you've gotten yourself into now." She says rather… seductively. I start to shake my head. No Katniss, Annie's in there we have to help her! I try and say but it was no use. The only thing that came out was a little noise, but that's a good sign, I'm regaining my voice. But as soon as the slight happiness rears its head, I begin to lose feeling in my knees and a worried look assaults my face. So many things she could do to me while I couldn't stop her. I sink down the wall to the floor in front of Annie's torture room. I could see everything happening in it. It looked like they were asking her questions and if she didn't, it looked like they'd cut her or something. I closed my eyes tight with my heart pounding heart and sweat dripping down my face. I don't want to see this. "Open your eyes Finnick. I wanna see those beautiful sea green eyes." She says, as I feel her hand stroking my face. I feel violated, I want her to stop. I open my rage-filled eyes and see that she's merely inches away from my face. I try to reach my arm up and smack her hand away but to my annoyance, I am unable to. She see's my struggle and comments "Don't even try Finnick," she leans to whisper in my ear "It's not gonna work." What was she trying to do? What was whispering in my ear like that gonna accomplish? But more importantly, WHY ISN'T IT GONNA WORK? AGAIN! I start breathing heavily as the anger boils inside me.
I open my mouth to speak, knowing it probably won't work, but astonished when I hear "What did you do to me!" yell out of my mouth with a raspy, rough voice. My eyes widen, I can speak again?
"Oh he can speak again." Katniss says, sourly and unamused. She backs away and sits in front of me.
"Fuck off Katniss. I don't need this! What do you think you're gonna get from me now? Unless you're gonna help me, I suggest you go AWAY!" I say "But as long as you are here… Why the fuck can't I move anymore!" I yell at her, thinking she's responsible.
"You drank some of the mixture that Snow gave you, dumbass. You really thought that was an antidote?" She says. How does she know I drank some of it? "Well it's not. Think about it, Finnick. You know what that was. The taste Finnick, remember what you studied." The fruity metal… I try and remember but nothing happens. Katniss just shakes her head.
"Why can't you tell me?" I ask hoarsely, still aware of the fact Annie is getting tortured a mere 20 meters away from me and I'm just sitting here chit-chatting with Katniss. Katniss shakes her head again and casually walks away. I watch as she walks. "Katniss!" I shout "Katniss come back!" She fails to acknowledge my yelling so I stop and bang my head against the wall repeatedly. I open my eyes and lay my eyes on the agony the peacekeepers are inflicting on Annie.
"Annie!" I scream as loud as I can, still unable to move a muscle below my head. "Annie, I'm here. It's me Finnick, I'm here!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Annie's eyes up slightly but she suppresses it, trying to pretend she doesn't hear it so she doesn't get killed. "Annie, Annie I love you!" I shout, ignoring the blazing pain in my throat when I do. I watch as the tears stream down her face. The peacekeeper notices this much and yanks her head back. "No!" I scream but it's no use, they aren't gonna listen to me. To my horror, he yanks out a knife and says something silently to her, knowing I can hear. She gives one ear-piercing last scream "Finnick!" then the knife is plunged into her throat and dragged down, splitting it open. I feel like my heart fell to the floor, it stopped beating. "NO!"I cry out. "No, no, no, no! Annie, NO!" I bawl, this can't be happening, she can't be dead! But it doesn't matter how much I say it over and over in my head, she is dead. Annie is gone forever. I sit there motionless and cry, my mind replaying it over and over again. Stab, stab, stab "Finnick!" stab. What am I going to do without her? What about Finlee? Oh my gosh, Finlee. And Ariel? What about her? Who are they going to go to without any parents? Oh yeah, Finnick, my father, the prostitute who died in the Capitol? Or Annie, my lovely mother who also died in the Capitol while Finnick watched and did nothing? I sit and wonder, this is what they want Finnick. They want you to weep, they want you to hurt. Don't show them how much it kills you. They'll only do it more. The voice of my long distant, also killed by the Capitol, mother's voice rings in my head. She told me that when I was getting teased at school, Don't show them it hurts you, they'll only do it more. She'd say, and that's exactly what I'd do. They left me alone after so maybe, I could try it here. As hard as it's gonna be, I'm gonna do it. I have to do it. I hear Snow's disgusting laughter boom out of the P.A system.
"Did you enjoy my little show, Mr. Odair?" He says.
"Oh yes, very entertaining." I say as annoyed as I can as if watching the 'show' of my wife dying was boring.
"Looks like the Siopilós has worn off." The P.A uttered out his peculiar voice.
"The who?" I ask, confused. What is Siopilós?
"Oh gosh, Finnick." That was the first time he said my first name, I grimaced as it rolled off his tongue and sizzled in my ears. I don't want him to say it ever again. "You don't know anything do you. It's Greek for Silent. Which is what you should be, but yet, here you are, talking to me in a rasy voice that's rather appealing, Finnick. Save it for the Capitol ladies." I'd clench my fists and swear at him but I reminded myself don't show it, Finnick. That's what they want. So instead, I express amusement at up at the camera so he sees how almost bored I am at this conversation. The P.A cuts off and in a matter of 4 seconds, he's unlocking the metal door to the hospital like room that I am in. The door opens and President Snow walks in all black in his suit which makes his snow-white hair stand out. "You seem very calm for someone who just witnessed their wife's death, Mr. Odair." He comments. Good, that means it's working. I shrug at him.
"Would it mean more to you if I were to act deeply depressed?" I retort at him, staring at his grotesque face.
"No, it wouldn't." He lies, I know it's what he wants, and the look on his face suggests he does. "I would like to re-converse about our little secret. I figured since you're wife is dead, it'll be easier." I can't help the slight wince I slipped by because it stings. No matter how hard I try not to look disheveled, I love Annie, I love her more than anything and I'm sitting in front of the man that took her away from me. I can't help it.
"Of course," I say bluntly.