"Welcome, citizens of Panem! I assure you that the Capitol remains in control, and that we shall never relent. Even in the darkest of times, our light will come shining through to brighten each and every one of your smiling faces!" Even as he speaks I imagine the faces of every member of Panem, not smiling but dirty and bloodied, poverty-stricken and downtrodden.
Beads of sweat roll down my forehead and I start tapping out a tune on the metal rung under my feet, a mindless beating of metal on metal, the satisfaction of hearing the clash and the tinny echo in the huge room too much temptation to resist. My mind is not focused on what Snow has to say, but thinking about Katniss- where she is right now and if she's watching this. Oh how I hope she is.
The light on the stage swings to me as Snow steps into the shadows. I squint and clear my throat, taking the tiny metal pointer from my jacket pocket and extending it into a slim metal pole. My voice is constricted as it escapes my lips, the words not coming as freely as I would like. "We uhm… we really need a ceasefire. There's been a broken damn in 7," I struggle to locate 7 on the map to point my stick at it and feel the colour of embarrassment rising in my cheeks. "And a derailed train with tonnes of toxic waste spilling from the cars. Not only does this harm the environment, but is potentially deadly to us and to future generations. This granary collapsing in 9, after a fire. You may think it's not a problem, but it is. Panem- it means bread. It's our staple food, the main part of our diet. Without bread, we fall. What is bread made from? Flour. How do we get flour? Granaries. It's all interconnected, and if we let the rebels win, let them take over and destroy these buildings… where does that leave us? The nation as a whole…"
Katniss face flashes up on the monitor behind the camera, showing what is being broadcast to the nation. She is standing in the smoking wreckage of a bakery- my bakery- as her dark eyes look directly into mine.
I am distracted when the screen cuts back to me, the shock at having seen Katniss almost making me fall from my chair. "The nation as a whole will fall into disrepair. Watertanks in several districts have already been destroyed, leading to a nationwide shortage of clean and fre-" Finnick interrupts me this time, talking about Rue in the arena. As I try and continue speaking, Thirteen take over control of the broadcasts and release it again, showing various short clips, shots I recognise from the propos.
The screen in the distance shows the Capitol seal with a flat tone for a few seconds, while Snow clears his throat and steps back up to the podium. The map flashes off and I collapse the pointer, slipping it back into the shallow pocket. "The rebels are clearly attempting to disrupt the dissemination of information they find incriminating, but both truth and justice will reign. The full broadcast will resume when full security has been reinstated. Now, Peeta. Given tonight's demonstration, do you have any parting thoughts for a certain Miss Katniss Everdeen?"
I look up at the mention of my name and my throat goes dry at the mention of hers. My face crumples up as I beg words to come, to let me tell her this one thing. "Katniss… how do you think this will end? What will be left? No one is safe. Not in the Capitol, not in the districts. And you… in Thirteen…" My eyes brighten as I realise I can do it. I can warn her! I grin, sitting up, and inhale deeply. I almost shout the last line in my desperation to get it out, in my determination to make myself heard. "Dead by morning!"
Katniss' face flashes onto and off of the screen as Snow roars in anger. Peacekeepers march forward and grab me by the arms. The camera falls onto the white tiled floor as I shout out Katniss' name, howling madly for her to listen, begging them to understand.
A Peacekeeper throws me to the floor and my head hits the hard tiles, sending everything plunged into darkness- but not far enough. I feel the wracking pain as every boot collides with my body, the release as a burst of blood ejects itself from my body and splatters itself against the ground.
