Intermission 1

If I could rearrange my words

I'd say what I mean,

If I could learn to count the cards

I'd risk everything.

Imagine how brave I'd be

If I knew I'd be safe.

"Mr. Mellark, I will be giving you a few words and you will tell me what comes to mind."

I shift uncomfortably in the steel chair and nod my head. The handcuffs bite deep into my skin.

"The Capitol," the Peacekeeper recites robotically, like he's done this so many times before. A shiver runs down my spine. Don't act so surprised – you've already seen the dry blood on those machines. How long do you think they've been doing this? I stare into the Peacekeeper's headgear and try to find a twitch, a glint, any kind of emotion at all other than mere emptiness, but I see no signs of a face. He's waiting for my answer.

A clueless citadel richer than the districts combined, ruled by a sadistic President who reeks of roses and has a peculiar hobby of murdering people.

"The heart of our nation," I say dryly, "The Capitol is kind and generous. It keeps Panem in peace and unity." Let them hear what they want to hear; just because I said it doesn't mean I mean it. They think I don't know that somewhere behind these cold walls they're watching and listening to my every move.

The Peacekeeper inclines his head in approval and marks a word off the list he is holding.

"The Hunger Games."

I recall endless hours tied up to an electrocution chair and being forced to watch all the Games up until the 73rd from beginning to end. All the blood, all the betrayal, all the hatred… I could almost imagine President Snow feeding on the fear like some blood-thirsty beast. But then again, wasn't that all he was? People like him want to destroy and enjoy walking on shards of glass.

A free drug for the upper class citizens, consisting of blood and inhumanity.

"They are… necessary." I reply. Something moves behind the Peacekeeper. When I blink, it's gone. This is what happens after hours of morphine, idiot.

"President Snow," the Peacekeeper states.

I grimace. A monster, a liar, a cold-blooded killer who likes playing games. Bile rises in my throat. I open my mouth to reply – that's when I notice a slight shimmer on the while behind the Peacekeeper. Found you. I send the President a slight smile through the wall and look straight at the Peacekeeper.

"I appreciate the roses he sent so often. It's nice to know he cared."

The Peacekeeper hesitates for a moment, and then decides not to mark anything.

"Rebellion," he continues.

"It could have been avoided," I state, knowing that I am wielding a double-edged sword. The sentence holds a neutrality I know the President would hate. It is true for both the rebels and the Capitol. The rebels would have no need for rebellion if only there were no Games; the Capitol could have prevented it if only the districts stayed still and believed what they were told. The Peacekeeper seems okay with my answer though, so he crosses it off the list. I grin at the wall.

"Katniss Everdeen."

I snap my head towards the Peacekeeper. Katniss. My Katniss. So this is what it all came down to. He's waiting for me outside with his syringe, waiting for me to say it, waiting for me to mess up. He enjoys this just like he enjoys his Games. This is a game.

Her name echoes in my mind and I find that it soothes my pain. I close my eyes and try to see her again. My mind is still disoriented from drifting in and out of consciousness but sure enough, she's still there. With her gray eyes and dark hair still in her braid, she is with me. When I open my eyes she's there, beside the Peacekeeper. I sigh in relief and smile at her. She smiles back. High doses of trackerjacker venom can cause powerful hallucinations for those who are stung – or injected with it.

"She is my wife," I say," I love her."

I look over at Katniss. She looks worried. I need to go, she whispers. Before I can ask why, the heavy metal doors behind me hiss open. Katniss looks over my head and frowns. She disappears.

I know who it is before he sits down in front of me. That smell of his is going to get him killed one day.

"Hello again, Peeta," he says, his voice laced with amusement. You make me sick. I look down at my knees.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," he shakes his head, "You deserved so much better, a young man like you. Such a waste of intellect… You know, Ms. Everdeen and I could have gotten along better if only she hadn't troubled me with all this mess. She should have known better. As for you? She never loved you, I don't think. Not that it would matter after all this…"

I feel the heat of my rage burning through my eyes and hate coursing through my veins like boiling water. I lift my chin and stare at him defiantly.

"One day, President Snow." I hiss, "One day, this whole nation will watch you fall. There will come a day when these sick games come to an end, and you will be begging for mercy at the end of a gun. Although I may not be alive to see it, the time is soon. And when that time comes, the last thing you'll be seeing is your face reflected in her eyes, and you…" I shake my head in disgust, "You will hate yourself."

President Snow frowns and slowly rises from his chair. He beckons to the Peacekeeper behind me.

"Bring the venom. We have not injected enough."

I struggle against my bonds but the coils just tighten around my wrists. I feel warm fluid rushing down my fingertips and dripping onto the floor. President Snow moves towards the door but stops next to me, takes one look at the growing pool of blood on the floor and places something on my lap. A rose. His nauseating aroma claws at my throat. I look away.

His footsteps stop abruptly at what I think is the doorway.

"And Peeta, if you really wanted to know," he says, "I have no intention of killing you. You see, Ms. Everdeen is meddling with the wrong people. When the time comes for her to be eliminated, I do not want to get my hands dirty. So I will not kill her either," I can almost hear his grin, "You will do it for me."

I scream and thrash in the chair. Strong arms grip my arms. Someone stabs me with a needle and I am reeling, plunging into dizzying darkness… Before the talons of my nightmares pierce my consciousness, I see her standing over me.

Katniss…Run.