A/N: Prior warning: This chapter is where the violence begins. If you're sensitive to this type of thing, please read at your own risk!

Peeta

The walk drags on and on. Rather than three minutes, it seems to go on for a three year extent.

We finally stop at a single door that blends in with the white marble of the wall. Ed pulls it open and allows me to enter first.

Inside the large room, there is no marble. It is as white as clouds, though. The clouds you see on a day where everything in the world seems grand.

Like the day when I first saw Katniss at school.

"Mr. Mellark," Ed says, shaking me out of the idea of daydreaming. "Can you please sit in the chair?"

"Oh. I'm sorry," I apologize. I hurry over to the large wooden chair that rests in the middle of the room and settle myself on it. Ed steps out of the room and closes the door behind him.

I soon realize the crisp chill that remains in the room. My clothing does no support to protect me against it; it's as if I was naked in here. I rub my hands up and down my arms to try and give myself some warmth. Something I cannot give Katniss while I'm here.

Katniss. My heart hurts from being unaware of her condition now. She could be dead. She could be alive. Harmed, but alive. Stupid me. Stupid me. My stupid ways.

My mind floats to many years ago.

Five years old. Yes.

The school was only a four minute walk from the bakery. My mom had dressed me in a white top tucked into a pair of black trousers. As much as she wanted to go with me to my first day of school, someone had to watch the bakery, so my dad volunteered to take me to school and my mother could pick me up.

Yes. That was right.

When my dad and I arrived at the school, we find two lines formed outside the small school building. We had gotten into the one on the left side.

After minutes of waiting in the line, no progress had occurred, my dad had tapped me on the shoulder.

"See that little girl?" he said. I followed the direction his finger was pointing to. There she was in the second line, holding her mother's hand. Clothed in a red plaid dress, hair sculpted into two braids that hung over her shoulders. "I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner."

"A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?" I had asked.

"Because when he sings...even the birds stop to listen."

Later in the day is when I found out her name. The teacher in music assembly called it out. "Katniss Everdeen?"

"Here!" she had called out in her youthful feminine voice.

Shortly after attendance, I recall, we were all sitting in a circle formed from the students of the class. I never really paid much attention to the other students as one by one they sang for the class.

"Now then, does anyone here know the valley song?"

On cue in my memory, Katniss shot her hand up in the air.

"Excellent! Would you like to sing it for us?"

Katniss agreed. The teacher helped her up onto a stool and when the class grew quiet, she began. Her gentle, melodic voice swam through the room.

I paid full attention. Not one little sound could interrupt her singing without being despicable. No doubt she got her singing from her father, if what my father says about her dad's singing voice is true.

When Katniss concluded the song, she got a round of applause that involved the entire class. Including me.

That is when I knew it.

I knew it.

I know it.

I still love Katniss. Nothing can affect that, even though Katniss's true feelings toward me are very vague to me. My deal to protect her is still in full motion. Whatever type of harm Snow wants to do to her will not happen as long as I'm still breathing.

Timing couldn't had been more agreeable to my thoughts.

"Why, good afternoon, Mr. Mellark."

I snap out of deep thought mode and find the sound of the voice belongs to President Snow himself. He stands on a balcony on the wall in front of me, the same evil grin glazed on his face like paint on a wall.

"How are you this fine day?" he asks in fake consideration.

Terrible, I desire to say.

"Fine, sir," I fib. "And yourself?"

"Couldn't be more please to see you willingly arrived. Now then, would you like something to drink?"

"Water wouldn't hurt," I say. Thank goodness. The dry feeling in my mouth can finally be fixed.

"Of course."

A servant I immediately recognize as an Avox brings out a tray with a single glass of crystal clear water on it less than a minute later. I thank him, remove the glass from the tray, and take an extravagant gulp of it. The refreshment it leaves is so purely remarkable I could possibly shed tears of joy.

President Snow speaks again. "Is there anything else I can get you to satisfy your needs?"

"No. This is all I wanted. Thank you," I reply.

"My pleasure. Now, I suppose you're wondering about your presence here. Unless you don't experience curiosity."

"I do."

"Good. Well Mr. Mellark, the room you are being held in is called the Interrogation Room. The purpose of this visit is very simple. I ask a question. You reply with a truthful response. I hope you will be able to keep your word on that."

"Of course I will," I say, a bit of anxiety rushing in.

"Very well. Because if you don't, there will be a punishment. Are we clear on this?"

I nod.

"Good."

He twists his head to face behind him. "Send in Jonathan and Veronica."

I can't even blink my eyes fully when they barge in from doors of the walls adjacent to me. A man with a head of messy brown hair dressed in all black just like Ed and a woman with a dark pixie cut with sober eyes appear in my vision. Veronica has a small whip gripped in her pale hand. Jonathan has a... rock of some sort. Or at least I think it's a rock. Actually, I have no clue what it is that he holds.

The two of them draw uncomfortably close to me. I need to conceal my fear. I know that.

"Let's begin, shall we?" President Snow asks in a tone that leaves me haunted.

Not that I wasn't already.

"Mr. Mellark, I'll start off easy. You and I both are aware of the rebellion occurring. Yes or no?"

He was right. That was a simple question with a simple answer. "Yes. I- I mean, we do."

"Very well. Moving on..."

My heart feels like pounding out of my chest as his words echo in me.

"Second question. When Katniss Everdeen-"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" I yell out.

"Calm yourself. I did nothing to her. As a matter of fact, she is not in the presence of the Capitol."

"LIAR!"

That's when Jonathan swings the item in his hand. I underestimated its powers. It crashes into my face and shoots pain in my cheek. I won't sugarcoat that the agony that follows is as awful as it can be. I let out a scream.

"Peeta!" I hear the cry rise from the floor. It couldn't be. Is it really Johanna? Wait, hold on...

Is the Interrogation Room really above our cells?

"Go do something about Mason!" Snow demands to a nearby Peacekeeper on the balcony.

Snow shoots me an angry look and a frown that says what I'm doing is exactly what was not mapped out in his wicked pile of thoughts.

"Mr. Mellark, I am giving you a warning now not to interrupt again. I know more severe punishments than you think. Do you understand?"

"Ye...yes, sir," I stutter.

"Now, where was I? Oh yes. When Katniss Everdeen was taking the coil of wire to the water and you were to be guard for Mr. Latier, you knew the plan of Miss Mason cutting out Miss Everdeen's tracker. Yes or no?"

What? Was that the plan? If it was, I was obviously oblivious to it. I shake my head as honest as I can.

His eyes narrow. "What makes you so sure I'd believe that?"

"Because it's the truth," I confidently say.

A moment of silence.

Veronica and Jonathan have their eyes fixed on President Snow.

Snow nods.

The whip flies before my eyes. The rope slaps my left cheek like my mother's hand the day she discovered I purposely burned the bread for Katniss. Except this time it actually harms me. I feel drips of my own thick and hot blood trickle down my cheek like a teardrop. I squeeze my eyes. Don't think about the pain, I order to myself.

"Let me ask you again. Did you or did you not know about the plan to cut out Miss Everdeen's tracker?"

"I didn't!" I cry out.

Jonathan swings the unknown item again across my face, and I am haunted with pain.

The chances of me making it out alive so far live in a modicum. Oh, what I wouldn't do to have on last kiss and one last conversation with Katniss now. To have her in my arms again and apologize for every false move I made to harm to. I try gripping onto that warm thought as I feel a tender bruise starting to form.

From there the repetition of this continues. Question from President Snow. Answer from me. Veronica and Jonathan rotating hitting me with their weapons. It happens about ten more times before Snow calls to cease it.

"Young man, don't think this is the end. I'll see you here again next week. That will give you enough time to realize that speaking the truth can save pain. Yes?"

But every response I gave was the truth! Johanna and Finnick being part of the rebellion? Them protecting me so Katniss had a reason to be allies with them? Who would've guessed? Guess President Snow did.

I nod anyways.

"Very well. Edward, please escort Mr. Mellark back to his cell now."

A minute later, Ed returns to the Interrogation Room. I hurry out of my seat and follow him, my entire face feeling like hell.

One week.

This all happens again in one week.

I know it.

Story Question: Why do you think I named the two people who tortured Peeta Jonathan and Veronica? (Hints: Dauntless and cancer)