A/N: I wanted to give a big thanks for those who reviewed, I got some great responses to the last chapter and I want to apologize for not replying with my gratitude personally. I have two small boys and they were being little buggers this week so I barely had time to get this current chapter out at my promised delivery date of Saturday night. I know, excuses, excuses, but I do humbly apologize and wanted Scrivener50 to know that I'm going to use your idea and have Katniss help herself...so stay tuned for that.
Just because you all are so awesome, I'm going to try my hardest to get Peeta's POV out tomorrow. :)
My back was stiff and aching, sending an uncomfortable twinge through my legs and arms. I tried to grab my arm to rub it but was immediately stopped by something. Letting my eyes slowly open, I focused on a pair of restraints around my wrists and another around my ankles. Instinctively I struggled against them, testing their strength as they cut and tore at my skin, only stopping once I could feel the unmistakable stickiness of blood. Glancing around, I saw a cement wall to either side of me, and my chair rested against another wall, probably the same as the others. In front of me was a vast open area that eventually dropped off into the black abyss. Only an oppressing fluorescent light cast a harsh glow in the distance, but even that wasn't enough to tell me what lay in the darkness ahead. The area was completely devoid of any furnishings or personality. I narrowed my eyes to focus on the wall beside me; there was a spot on the wall that was darker than the rest. I prayed it wasn't blood.
I hung my head and whimpered. What was happening? I had never felt so alone in my entire fucked up life. My head jerked up when I heard the sound of metal sliding, perhaps locks? Then came a whining screech as an apparently burdensome door opened and footsteps entered. A powerful boom thundered through the room a few seconds later as the door slammed shut. Whoever approached me wore a sickly sweet fragrance of…roses? I shook my head, trying to rid my nose of the offending smell, but to no avail. It seemed to creep through my nose and nestle inside me like another assault on my sanity.
"I was notified that you were awake, Ms. Everdeen." His voice was thick like syrup, letting each word blend to the next in a haunting rhythm. It instantly sent shivers down my spine. "It's a delight to finally meet you. I've watched you grow up all these years, and now, here you are." As the man came closer, I could see that he was older, probably much more than the obvious plastic surgery would have you believe. His hair was so white it was almost translucent. His lips quirked in an attempt to smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes, probably from too much Botox. He took his gloved hand and played with some loose strands of hair that had fallen from my braid.
"W-who are you?" I asked sheepishly, cursing my nerves for getting the best of me.
"Oh dear, let me apologize. My name is Coriolanus Snow. We've never been properly introduced, although I have the unfair advantage of knowing everything about you." He let his finger glide from my cheek to my neck, tracing my collarbone delicately. I started to gag in disgust, willing myself not to throw up.
"I don't understand." Was all I could get out between swallowing the soupy bile that rest in my throat.
He took a step back so he could stare me in the eye. His pupils were dilated and pitch black. He was so close that I could see myself mirrored in them. His hot breath created a moist film on my face but I refused to break eye contact. "You can blame your father for that, Ms. Everdeen." He snarled. I was startled by this sudden burst of emotion - since the moment he entered the room, he had given off an air of smugness…a sort of indifference that made him seem almost inhuman.
"What does my father have to do with this?" I shot back, not caring that some of my saliva reached his face. He cackled and wiped away the drops, but never took his attention from me.
"Everything, my dear. Everything." His shoulders moved as if he was laughing but no noise came out. I was getting tired of these evasive responses. I pulled against the restraints to express how angry I was at the moment, letting my wrists shred all the more. "Ms. Everdeen, please, don't hurt yourself on my account. Some of my attendants will arrive shortly to prep you, and then we can continue our discussion." He flicked his hand in a half wave and strolled off until the darkness covered him completely. The door bellowed its closure, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
Attendants? As if responding to my question, three oddly dressed people came trotting in, holding garment bags and satchels with weird instruments in them. They must have come through another door, because they appeared as if from nowhere and their entrance was almost silent. Mr. Snow obviously wanted his presence known.
"Ugh, where does he find these women? This one looks like she was scraped off the pavement after being run over." The one with purple hair chirped.
"It's a good thing I brought my big bag, we'll have to pull out all the stops." This one spoke with a slight lisp, her hair was bleached blonde and stick straight. I soon noticed she had a piercing through her tongue, I wondered if that's what caused her speech impediment.
The third person was a male, who looked relatively normal except for the tattoos that covered every inch of his body. Oddly enough, he carried the tattoos up to the underside of his neck but stopped there. He was my favorite because I could focus on his artwork while they tortured me with their 'beauty products'. None of them spoke to me directly or gave me their names, so I called them Purple, Piercing and Tattoos.
I disliked Purple the most -she took every opportunity to comment on how ugly or hairy I was. She was also the one to wax me, so I think that had something to do with it. Piercing mostly worked on my hair and makeup; she was alright, but too chatty for my taste. Tattoos kept to himself, and held dress after dress up to me as I tried to cover my mostly exposed body. They let me keep my underwear on, since I threatened their lives if they stripped me all the way naked.
After what felt like hours, my hair was neatly coifed in tight ringlets cascading down my back, my face was painted to look "mysterious," per Piercing, and I was in a fiery red dress that showed entirely too much leg and chest. In short, I looked like a completely different person, and I had a feeling that's what Snow wanted. He had successfully rid me of my identity and any courage I carried in it. Now, I felt awkward and clumsy, like I was learning to walk again and needed constant help. No doubt Snow would be there to offer his assistance.
"Ah, Ms. Everdeen! You look marvelous. Please come join me at the table." He motioned towards an extravagant mahogany table, every inch filled with the tastiest looking food I had ever seen. The room was lavishly decorated, with so many worldly articles and trinkets, I became dizzy trying to stare at them all at once. I let the disappointment shine across my face upon realizing that Snow and I would be seated next to each other, and not at opposite ends of this extremely long table.
Tapered candles peppered the buffet, casting ghostly shadows on the ancient paintings hung on the walls. Everything about the space and the company left me with such an uneasy feeling, I gulped audibly, but I refused to let Snow know how I truly felt. Instead, I let a faint smile grace my face, and casually rested my elbows on the table while lacing my fingers together under my chin. This seemed to bring a whim of delight to Snow, as he chuckled while his soulless eyes tried unsuccessfully to crinkle against skin that was too tight to make any creases.
I decided to break the silence. "So, I've never been kidnapped before, but I don't think you're doing it right. I mean, you started out alright, with trapping me in the dungeon, tied up…but this dress and food? Pretty sure this isn't in the book." As his chuckle grew to laughter, I scowled at his continued enchantment of my predicament.
"I'm glad you find this so amusing! Just tell me what the fuck you plan on doing with me!" I picked up a knife and brought it harshly down into the wood. Servants standing on the outskirts of the room hastily moved towards me; I thought I heard one exclaim "that is mahogany!" but I could've been wrong. Snow held up one hand to stop them, then flicked his wrist to send them away.
"Ms. Everdeen, I never meant you disrespect. I honestly thought you would have figured it out by now. Surely your father mentioned me?" Although he feigned concern, I knew he could care less.
"I just found out my father was alive yesterday, and I was too busy being shocked to hear anything he had to say." I folded my arms across my chest and intensified my glare.
"Ah, well let me be the one to enlighten you then. You and your father liked to hunt in the woods that I used to dispose of…unwanted items. But, you two were very predictable, always using the same hunting paths, so I let you both continue your little hobby." He sneered.
Suddenly I remembered, Peeta had mentioned something like this when he broke the news about my dad, "…it belonged to a mob boss named Snow who found out your father had gone to the police…"
"He found where you dumped the bodies!" I exclaimed, as he saw the realization cross my face.
He cleared his throat. "I guess that's one way to put it, although I think that's rather crude. But he discovered my site when he went off the usual path you two used. At that point, I had been in my profession over thirty years Ms. Everdeen. That's thirty years of a spotless record, of maintaining a certain degree of anonymity that my clients expect!" He slammed his fist down.
"But that all changed the day your father exposed who I was when I had my day in court. He cost me millions when my clientele lost faith in me. No one had ever gotten the best of me, and ultimately, neither did he. Thirty years I worked for everything I had then I lost it all after that one day on the stand. I was never charged, but tell that to the clients that walked away…it meant nothing to them. Now I had to start from scratch, and I vowed I would be even more powerful than I was before and make your father pay dearly for the damage he caused.
That whole 'accidental death' seemed too…convenient, I knew he was in hiding but I couldn't figure out where. That's when I enlisted "helpers" to track him down. It was obvious you and your sister believed he was dead, even your poor mother, God rest her soul." He snickered a bit at this which made me see red. "So with my helpers implemented I was able to track you and Primrose and with the help of other devices, I waited until the day I could ruin Landon Everdeen's life like he did mine."
I knew when he said "other devices" he probably meant listening bugs in my apartment or something like that. I felt so exposed, especially since I valued my privacy above almost anything else.
"I'm sorry my father exposed you as the criminal you are, you poor thing." I made a mopey face and pretended to rub nonexistent tears from my cheeks. "You're so fucking pathetic. You survive on breaking the law and when an actual decent human being lets others see you for what you are, you throw a hissy fit and vow revenge. Thirteen years you spent spying on Prim and me, just to find my father…I think you're just a dirty old man who gets off watching unsuspecting women!" He stood up sharply and for a second I thought he was going to hit me, but he just looked down at me and smirked.
"Ms. Everdeen, you are simply a means to an end, not a prisoner as you may think. I've already sent word to your friends that I have you, and I'm sure they've notified your father. Once your father comes to rescue you, I'll kill him myself so I know it's real." His voice was smooth and thick again.
"You're insane if you think I'll let you kill my father." I seethed. "And I know you aren't going to just let me walk out that door."
"You are correct. But I think you'll learn to love it here. Yes, you are not my prisoner, but my new 'plaything' if you will." He let out a maniacal laugh and I felt the small amount of food I ate churn in my stomach with disgust. "If you want to see a prisoner, please follow me. I'll show you how I treat my inmates."
He started to walk down a hallway off of the dining room and I quickly followed, albeit cautiously. He was quiet the entire time I was behind him, letting me think about how I could get myself out of this mess. I couldn't let him kill my father, not after I just found out he was alive. And then there was his 'plaything' comment. I shuddered at just the thought of him touching me. I had to find a way out of this.
He stopped in front of a large wooden door after we descended a flight of stairs. It reminded me of those old movies that showed an entrance to a dungeon. I shivered at what I might find behind the wooden monstrosity.
Snow hauled the door open and walked inside, but I hung back a few feet, looking around at the musky room. It was rather dark until Snow flicked on some lights. The smell of sweat and bodily waste hung heavy in the air. I was surprised someone as pretentious as Snow would even come down here and risk damaging his expensive attire. I was getting closer to where he stood when I heard a soft wail. When I followed the sound I was shocked to see an emaciated young man strapped to the wall with heavy chains. I rushed over to him and crouched down to move the dirty, matted hair from his face. I gasped and my hands immediately covered my mouth at the sight of his face.
"Gale!" I said breathlessly. When he heard my voice his eyes opened and he tried to smile but didn't have the strength. "Let him go!" I shouted at Snow. He only raised an eyebrow, but the rest of his features were cemented in place. "How could you? Oh my God, Gale, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry!" I held him tightly in my arms as I rocked with him back and forth. His arms laid limply at his side, but he rested his head on my shoulder. I let my tears wash his soiled skin, crying harder when I realized there was nothing else I could offer him. "Please, I'll do anything if you just let him go. Let me take care of him, give him some food to eat."
Snow studied the two of us for a minute before going to an intercom and giving some orders. Minutes later, two guards came in and unchained Gale, bringing him to his feet. He was too weak to walk, so they carried him upstairs into a huge room with two comfy looking beds. They set Gale down on one of the beds and I turned around to see what Snow expected of me now. He just huffed as he hovered over Gale, then simply said. "You might be of use to me again, Mr. Hawthorne."
As he started to head out the door, he turned to a female attendant waiting there and ordered her to get me some items to bathe Gail with, and a small meal for him to eat. She nodded curtly and walked out of the room. Snow followed right behind her, never looking at me again that night.
The female attendant returned with the items to give Gale a sponge bath, along with some medical supplies for his cuts; it appeared he had been whipped numerous times on his back. I could feel the anger boiling under my skin - what purpose did it serve to whip him? I cleaned him up thoroughly, trying to prevent infection from setting in, and got him to eat a little broth and bread.
I fell back on my bed in pure exhaustion. My eyes were just starting to close when I heard a meek whimper coming from Gale's side of the room. I made my way to his bed and sat down next to him, thinking he wanted the comfort of another person, when I heard him whisper my name.
"Gale, please don't talk. Just rest, we can talk tomorrow." I said calmly, although I wasn't sure how much Snow would let me interact with him.
"No." He said softly but harshly. "You can't do this, you can't owe Snow." It broke my heart to see him struggling so hard to speak that little bit.
"It's ok, I'll find a way out of this. I've gotten us out of worse situations than this." I chuckled but I failed to lighten the mood.
"I'm sorry Catnip."
"Ssshhh, you have nothing to be sorry for, just rest." I ran my fingers through his hair hoping to calm him; it seemed to work a little. He was quiet for another hour and I started to drift off to sleep only to be awoken by him again.
"Listen, Snow had me spy on you since I was fifteen." My eyelids shot open. "I refused, of course, so he killed my father. He said Posy was next." I let my arms wrap around him tightly. I started to feel responsible for so many of my loved ones' pain. The burden was beginning to take it's toll on me. "I-I began to fall in love with you, so I went back to Snow and said I wanted an option to end the spying. He said if I could prove to him that you loved me back, he would let me go.
"That night…the night we slept together, he said I had failed, that you said that night was a mistake. He overheard you tell Annie. He has bugs everywhere Catnip. He locked me in the basement as my punishment." He was wracked with sobs and I didn't know what to do. How could he love me when I was the reason his father was killed? And then I let him down even further when I couldn't love him back…not in the way Snow meant. Not in the way I loved Peeta. Fuck! I wanted to scream every expletive I knew, and maybe even create some more, to try to relieve the frustration that filled my brain. I hated being me right now, I hated what I had done to the people I supposably loved.
"He let me live because I ultimately gave him the idea of how to get your father to turn up." I ripped myself away from my thoughts and listened carefully. I don't know if Gale could see how intently I was listening, but he continued as if he were using his dying breath to share this with me. "The morning after we…we, you know ... I came here to tell him we were in love and he laughed in my face. He told me about the discussion with Annie, and even played the audio so I could hear it in your voice."
Even though it was dark, I could see the rejection smeared on his face. It made me feel like shit. "He told me that your dad would come back for you and this time I laughed in his face. I was so dejected that I yelled at him 'Katniss's father is dead! And even if he were alive, do you think he would come back knowing you're alive?!' And that did it. He kept me alive as a thank you gift for the idea of faking his own death. He told me if your dad could do it, so could he." I heard him sniffling and knew he was crying again.
I tenderly rubbed his bare arms and sang him to sleep. Once I heard his soft snores, I crept back to my bed a few yards away and stared at the ceiling.
"I'm going to get you better Gale, then you and I are getting out of here."
Suzanne Collins owns Hunger Games and all the awesome characters.
