"Are you hurt?" She asked after her brain resumed working.
"I'm fine," Effie replied a little too quickly.
"What did they do to you?" Effie looked away. "Effie, what. Did. They. Do?"
"They beat me," she whispered. "I was stunned when the broadcast cut out. Peacekeepers, I don't even know how many, broke into my apartment. I tried to run, but two grabbed me, and a third hit me with the butt of his gun. It knocked me unconscious, and I woke up in here. They brought you in not long after."
"Have they been back?"
"No, not yet."
Terrified as their situation sunk in fully, Katniss wrapped her arms around Effie's waist. The older woman wrapped her arms around her shoulders, her upper body instinctively curling over to protect the girl. They sat for several moments just holding one another. The moment was broken by the cell door sliding open. Guards stormed in and ripped the two apart, gathering Katniss in a strong hold and throwing Effie into a wall.
"Effie! Katniss screamed as she saw the older woman crumple to the floor. "Let me go!" She snarled at the guards holding her. The last thing she saw before being dragged away was the other two guards advancing on her escort. "Don't touch her! Don't-" she screamed before a hard punch knocked her out.
Katniss woke up strapped to a table, only a solitary light allowing her to see. She felt blood trickling down her chin and realized her lip had been split.
"Ah, Ms. Everdeen, so glad you could join us," President Snow's voice floated down.
"What do you want?" she snapped, figuring the only thing worse than being captured was being killed.
"Now, Ms. Everdeen, I thought we agreed not to lie to each other. That being said, what do you know about the Rebellion? About the arena going up in flames?"
"Nothing. I don't know anything."
She screamed as electricity flooded her system.
"We both know that's not true. What were you told?" Snow asked, his voice growing harder.
"Nothing!"
Electricity again raced through her body, and she screamed, convinced she was going to die.
"I'll ask one final time-what do you know about the Rebellion?"
Katniss didn't answer, the pain coursing through her body preventing her from talking. President Snow perceived her silence as an answer, and motioned for the switch to be flipped. The girl's screams bounced off the walls, but he made no move to shut off the electricity. Katniss screamed until she was hoarse, and even then she tried to make noise. She couldn't see when the electricity was finally shut off, but she could sense someone in front of her. The smell of roses told her it was Snow.
"I had hoped you would cooperate," he said, "but I suppose I was wrong. Perhaps your former escort will be of help." Anger surged through her veins at his threat. She'd be damned before she let him touch Effie. Hoping her aim was true, she spat at him. From his angry shout she knew she had at least hit him.
"Take her away!" he snapped, and Katniss felt the straps fall away.
The guards carried her back to her cell and deposited her on the floor. She could hear scuffling from the corner, and assumed it was Effie.
"Katniss! Katniss, are you all right?! What did they do to you?!"
"Effie, I can't...come closer." She swallowed, her throat still hurting from screaming. She felt the woman grasp her hand. "I can't see. They shocked me after I refused to tell them anything."
"Oh God, you can't see at all?!"
"It's coming back slowly. At least now I can see grays instead of just black."
Effie pulled the girl onto her lap and held her, tears slipping down her cheeks. It wasn't fair! Katniss was a victor, she had been promised disqualification from the Games! She shouldn't be in a Capitol prison. She should be in the penthouse mentoring or at home in Twelve. She had already gone through hell once, she didn't deserve this.
Her tears dripped onto the girl's forehead. By now, colors were beginning to return to her, and she could make out Effie's torn pink dress and her blonde hair. She could also see blood. She reached up and caressed the woman's cheek, hoping to calm her and find the injury. Effie sobbed at her touch.
"Effie, look at me," Katniss said softly. Blue eyes locked onto gray. "Where does it hurt?"
Still sobbing, the woman reached up and touched the back of her head. Katniss sat up, ignoring the pain, and checked the spot. There was a large gash across the back of her head, the area still oozing blood. Wincing, she reached down and ripped a strip off the hem of her tank top. She dabbed at the cut gently, making sure all the blood was wiped away.
"That really should have stitches, but..." she trailed, gesturing to their surroundings.
"It's...that's fine, thank you," Effie managed, her tears slowing.
Pain rolling through her body in waves, Katniss lay back down on the older woman's lap. Effie stroked her hair, and Katniss felt herself drifting off...