My stomach growls for food. My tongue dries up for drinking water. How long was I down here? A day? Two? I stay curled in my ball, trying desperately to get warmer. I swear the Peacekeepers made it colder in here than last night. I could see my breath when I breathe. My fingers began to shake and freeze, and tiny ice crystals were in my hair. I must look like a fashion disaster.
Is Quaid looking for me? I want to leave this basement. I don't care who is trying to find me, I just want to be found. I don't deserve to be tortured for trying to start an imaginary rebellion. Tears continue to fall and I think about my face. Jace and Jetta. What are they doing back home? I close my eyes and I try to think of them.
All I see is their faces, tear streaked and bloodshot eyes. My parents are silently working the farm, tears in their eyes as well. The animals don't exactly know why they are crying. But, animals have an amazing sense of feeling. Philomena waddles to my father and nuzzles him. The pregnant cow gave him the glassy eyes look that I miss so dearly. Even when you aren't sad, you can look into Philomena's glassy eyes and burst out into tears.
My thoughts are shattered. A heavy door opens and Pace walks in, a silver tray with a small breakfast. A small bowl of oatmeal, glass of orange juice, and one piece of toast. I unravel from my ball and sit up straight. As Pace walks my closer, I can feel my stomach growl louder.
He places the tray in front of me and takes a few steps back. I grab the oatmeal and shovel every last bite into my mouth. The hunger feeling was suppressed when I finished the whole bowl. I grab the glass of orange juice and chug half of it down. I move to the toast, the warm bread spreading its heat from my stomach to my fingers. When the breakfast was finished, Pace gave the tray to a Peacekeeper and sat in front of me.
"Was it good, darling?" He asks, his eyes flickering.
"Yes. Thank you so much." I say, wiping food from my lips.
"I don't want you to starve." He says, placing a hand on mine. "I know starvation is the worst way to die. Besides, you'll need a full stomach when I do this today."
"Do what?" I cock my head as he stands up.
"It's a surprise. Shh." He places a finger over his lips. He walkes to the Peacekeepers, who turn a switch.
A low crackling sound was heard to my right. I turned and saw the pool of water. It looked normal, but the crackling sound was coming from the walls of the pool. There was a long wire connected to multiple wires. The seal of District 3 was clear, even if it was under six feet of water. Bright yellow flashes surfaced the top of the water.
He electrified the water.
"Shh. It was just a dream." Shimmer's voice rang in my ears. She was using her nails to go up and down my arm in an effort to calm me down.
My tears came down fast and in a multitude. "She…she…she was dead. And Pres…President Rector was laughing like he knew she was dead all along. And…and…" Shimmer silenced me.
"Shh. Shh. That won't happen." Her nails have the force of a butterfly's wings. "Jada is a strong girl. She can handle anything thrown at her. She survived Flitter, and I thought she wasn't going to." She uses her thumbs to wipe away my tears.
I try to think of her back in the arena. When she sang to the mockingjays and they all fell silent. When she and I had our first kiss by the lake. When we were crowned victors, and how we won over the Capitol. None of that matters now. She's probably suffering more than she did in the arena. Or, maybe she's okay. I have to keep my faith alive. It can't die like the twenty other tributes that did in the arena.
Shimmer escorts me to the dining room, where a breakfast was laid out. I reluctantly sit down and pick a few of the foods and place them on my plate. A small bowl of oatmeal, a piece of toast, and a glass of orange juice seems like enough. I begin to scoop the oatmeal into my mouth when the Panem seal flashes on T.V and Dusk Shine is working the news.
"Still no update on Jada Caldwell's disappearance." She begins to say, with Jada's Victor Picture layered behind her. "No one has seen this fifteen year old victor since the ball. Everyone seems to have no idea where she is. But, we do have a lead. It seems that, moments before her disappearance, someone watched her dance with past victor, Pace Caywood.
"After that, we still don't have any leads. President Rector has questioned Pace but he says that Pace wasn't with her when she disappeared."
Silence falls over the table. No one wants to say it. My eyes are stinging from the tears I am holding back. I silently place the toast in my mouth, but the flavor of anything has disappeared. I can't even eat while Jada is away from me.
The news switches to a Capitol sit-com. I didn't pay attention to eat. I tried eating my bland meal and not to think about Jada. The harder I tried not to, the more I did. I could hear her voice, singing and laughing. I could see her, walking to me in a long white wedding gown.
"Don't worry, Quaid." Annabelle says, grabbing a chocolate covered strawberry. "We'll find her. Even if it's the last thing we do, we'll find her."
"I sure hope so." I say, sipping my drink.
"You do have rebel forces in Ten. Quit lying to me!" Pace says, ready to dunk me in the electrified water.
"I don't, I swear!" I yell. My head in submerged in water, and a shock is sent up my body. Pace pulls me out by my hair and slams me on the ground.
He sits on top on me and looks me in the eyes. A needle was given to him by a Peacekeeper. He slowly injected the liquid into my arm. While the effects began, Pace's words filled my head, making them true.
"One, two, Quaid's coming for you. Three, four, he's at the door. Five, six, he makes you sick. Seven, eight, you're too late. Nine, ten, you'll never be seen again." The words keep ringing in my head. My eyes began to close, and the last thing I saw was Quaid coming after me, with a knife in his hand.
One, two, Quaid's coming for you. Three, four, he's at the door. Five, six, he makes you sick. Seven, eight, you're too late. Nine, ten, you'll never be seen again.
"There has been a sighting!" Annabelle yells through the room. "She's at the square! Let's go."
I follow her, not wanting to change from my pajamas. We run through town, ready to see my lover. I hope she's okay. We come closer and closer to the square and I see her. Her brown hair is mangled, she is shaking, and she has her knees to her chest. I called out her name and ran to her.
I opened my arms for her to come in. Instead, her arms wrap around my throat.
"Jada!" Everyone screams at her. It takes Annabelle, Shimmer, and a few passers by to pull her off of me.
A/N: Yes, a short chapter this time around. And, I will say this; the injection was not tracker jacker venom. It is an unnamed drug and, while injecting it, if you say something, the person receiving the injection believes it to be true. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, sent a tribute, and just read the story. Thank you so much and I can't thank you all enough.