Pain. Too much pain. I scream even before I open my eyes and a sudden electrical shock runs through me. I scream out again in agony and the shocks burn through my body.
"Stop! Please!" I whimper but the only reply I get is an evil laugh. I open my eyes and stare at the face of an old man, an elderly. He's wearing a lab coat and wide-rimmed glasses that let out a glare from his beady eyes. I spit in disgust on his wrinkled and twisted face. He puts on a straight face and messes with a control device in his hand, sending a new wave of electricity through my body. I was, indeed, in an electric chair.
"Stop it," I order between clenched teeth. He smiles at me and twists a knob on his control, making the shock travel through my body more intensely.
"Aaagh!" I scream. I feel like every nerve in my body is being burnt out and my fingers slowly go numb. My brain is buzzing inside my head and my eyes feel like they're going to pop out. Tears run down my face and I clench my jaw, waiting for the pain to subside, even if it meant death. My breathing discontinues and my arms go limp.
"That's enough for today," a voice orders from behind the elder. The elder grunts unhappily and pushes his glasses up his nose. He then tones down the knob till only the sharp tingling of the electricity is left in my body. A man, once hidden by the shadows of the dark room, steps in front of me. His face is illuminated by the light.
"Katniss Everdeen," he says with interest. I stare at him and realize this is President Snow. His white hair with the black lines running through it let out an eerie glow.
"Carl Snow," I reply in the same tone. My jaw still feels like its clenched and I try to relax it by flexing it.
"That is no way you talk to your president, especially when your death is on the edge of a cliff."
"Kill me, see if I care," I reply. The president laughs and claps his hands as if I said something funny.
"Something the matter, Mr. President?" I ask, spitting in disgust at the last words.
"Katniss, we won't kill you, if you like." He leans in closer. "The least I can do is offer a compromise."
I glare at him as he continues. He pulls away from me and pats the old man on the back. "This is Charles Hooden. A member of my council," he says and glances up at me.
"You don't have a council. You're just a selfish dictator." The elder is tempted to twist the knob on his device but the president calms him down. The president looks at me coolly and begins to talk.
"You have a big mouth for such a fragile girl. If I weren't generous, I would've let you died with those berries."
"And look where I ended up instead," I reply sarcastically. The president glares at me and twists his face like he just ate something sour.
"Keep that up and your friends will be dead. We can easily track them down, you know." I frown and press my lips together, knowing the president won that argument.
"So you realize Katniss, that you are here for a reason," he continues while pacing the floor in front of me. He waves off the elder who stumbles out of the dark room and shuts the iron door behind him.
"Obviously," I growl.
"Now tell me Katniss, why? Why would you do such a thing to the Capitol?"
"That's like asking you why you would do such a thing to the Districts," I answer with attitude.
"You're not being good," he growls and he pops out the same device the elderly had and threatens to turn it on. "As you know, we started the Games because you peasants tried to rebel. You good-for-nothing freaks should've shut your mouths and stayed in your homes as you were born to do." By the look on his face, I could tell I am starting to tug on the president's last straw.
"And what gives you guys privileges over us? Your wacky hairdos and over-dramatic behavior?" The president tunes up the knob and I scream out in pain. He then turns it back down and resumes to pacing the room.
"Don't waste your breath, Katniss. If you work with me for a bit longer I might not kill you right now."
"That makes me feel a whole lot better."
"Katniss. You proved many skills through the Hunger Games. An eleven is pretty impressive. I would turn you into an Avox, but that would be no fun for me. Your abilities prove more than that."
"Are you asking for me to work for you?" I growl.
"Just keep your mouth shut for one second, peasant. Like all my other guards, I can program you so that you can fight for the Capitol." He pauses and looks at me.
"Go eat your wig," I mutter with a glare.
"Let me rephrase everything I just told you. You will work for me. Either that or I kill you."
"Kill me!" I scream back at him.
"I would, but killing you wouldn't make such a good image for the Capitol. Katniss, we have your family under our guard. If you want them to live happily ever after, then bow down to my words. Work for me, Everdeen." My bottom lip trembles as I think about poor Prim shut out from the rest of the world because of my mistakes. The whole time I was trying to defend her and one stupid decision turned everything back on her. She was too weak. I had to help her, even if that meant destroying me.
"Katniss, it's the least you can do for Primrose." I glance up to face the president's icy stare. He knew he had me in his clutches this time.
"I'll do it," I whisper. The president smiles evilly and releases the chains around my wrists and legs, making me fall to the ground. He claps twice and guards poor in from everywhere. They pull me to my feet and I don't try to fight back.
An elderly in a white lab coat emerges from between the black-suited guards and pulls out a syringe. My eyes study the shot but the rest of my body feels paralyzed. I raise my arm and watch carefully as he inserts the needle into my forearm.
I easily feel the poisoned liquid seeping through every vein in my body. My eyes instantly dilate and my eyesight is covered by black splotches.
I fall back into the arms of a guard and I look up into his expressionless eyes. I am going to wake up and be one of them, I realize. I am going to have no feelings, no thoughts, nothing.
"No wait!" I scream and try to scramble out of his hold. But I know it's too late. The poison reaches my brain and I settle into a deep sleep, knowing I would wake up a different person.