Annie hasn't taken her eye off me. Not once. Not for a moment. It's been days, surely, but without windows or regular meals, neither of us can tell exactly how long. I don't stop shaking; trembling constantly with fear. I try to calm myself to stay strong for Annie, but she doesn't seem fazed. She just keeps watching me. The other day, she explained that it was a 'just-in-case', after my freak out moment with Katniss, and Rue, and . . . I understand it all now. They must've done something to me that made me temporarily confused. I'm fine now, obviously. I don't doubt Katniss for a minute.

I look over at Annie now, huddled over in the corner with her tray by her side. I glance at my untouched food and then back at her, shivering with the cold and getting thinner by the day. Making up my mind quickly, I crawl over to her tray, bringing mine with it, and switch them over. Then I take her empty tray back, leaving her with the food. I don't feel hungry. She needs it more.

At least, that's what I try to convince myself.

'Annie. Annie, wake up . . .' I nudge her arm with my foot. 'Annie. They brought you food.' As she stirs, I smile encouragingly, and point to the tray beside her.

Her eyes widen. 'Twice . . . in one day?'

I have to say, if the idea of helping her wasn't enough to make me do this, the delight in her face is. I nod with a forced smile that must be believable enough for her, because she immediately snatches a bread roll from the plate and it's gone before I can blink.

'Have you already eaten?' she asks me, her mouth half-full of bread. I smile and nod, gesturing to what was her tray and is merely littered with a few crumbs. She picks up what I think is cheese, but it looks dangerously discoloured.

'Annie, do you want to leave that bit?' I suggest, but then shake my head. Any food is better than letting the girl starve to death – plus, we're both victors. We can handle this.

Annie shows herself as a victor and merely uses the edge of the plate to scrape off the outside, revealing safe and normal cheese. I swallow my hunger and sigh. We're both victors. We can handle this.

Victors only had to survive the Games, though, then they were 'free'. Who knows how long we'll be here?

I'm trying to forget about Katniss, and Finnick, and Beetee, and Eno. I'm trying to focus on Annie. She needs protecting, from the Capitol, from the rebels, from herself. No point in dwelling on Katniss right now – I may never see her again. We've been here so long, I'm starting to lose hope in everything. In everyone I previously trusted. All I have is Annie and mouldy cheese and the fear of being tortured again to the point of not knowing who I am. It's not fun, to say the least.

Johanna's been gone for a long time. Maybe she's dead.

What a shame.

The thought shocks me. What a shame. How cold – how heartless of me to think that. I'm Peeta Mellark. I care about others, I care whether Johanna lives or not. I don't pass that as what a shame. I'm the Boy with the Bread, I'm one of the star-crossed lovers, I'm the one that was ready to die so that Katniss may win the Games. I'm allies, friends with Johanna. What a shame wouldn't be my reaction if she died. What a shame wouldn't be my reaction to anything.

The Capitol has changed me and I don't like it.

I need to get myself back, and fast.

But . . . how?