Had to do a bit of research for the first part…just so I won't look too stupid, trying to write about something I don't know much about. :P I feel like its sloppier than last time…I tried to make edits but, in the end I just don't really know how to fix it Sorry guys =(
Nothing else to say for this big bold part, except to recommend a story for all you Galeniss fans…there's one called Knightingale by DBlaZe, and I'm a little bit more than a little bit obsessed with it. Happy reading
This does not smell like dishwater.
The pool is much, much deeper than I think, and apparently a lot bigger than I thought it would be. The water isn't freezing cold like I thought it would be, it's actually really warm. But it's so dark; I'm considering the possibility that there might be some vicious District 13-made muttation down there that's going to torture me to death.
Something doesn't feel quite right. The few white swirls of soap bubbles on the surface led me to think that this was filled with dirty water…but when I push it away, the water seems completely clean.
I can almost hear Gale's voice in my head, telling me to follow my instinct and get out of here. But curiosity gets the best of me. Besides, if they really did have some nasty thing going on here, wouldn't it be best for us to know about it?
I take a deep breath, and go under. I try to open my eyes, but I can barely see a foot in front of me. It gets hotter as I go down. I can't believe how deep it is. I can feel my lungs slowly running out of air, but I keep going down for what's probably a little more than 5 meters. I keep one arm stretched out in front of me, until I hit something hot. Something really, really hot.
I suppress a yelp and shoot back up to the surface.
13 might be the most terrifying district I've ever been to.
After I catch my breath, I go back down again. Good. I'm faster this time, because I know what I'm looking for. When I get near the same spot again, I stop and squint. Rows and rows of neatly organized metal circles. I know that this is enough, I really need to get out of here, but something else insists that I figure it out. I wrap my hand in my shirt and bring myself closer to the metal circles, and pick one up.
It's not a metal circle. It's a rod. A long, burning hot rod. Maybe it's the panic, but I'm far too aware of everything around me. I realize the rods are arranged in racks, that the heat is making me a little nauseas, and most importantly, my lungs are about to burst.
I'm back up to the surface in a matter of seconds. I don't know what to do anymore. So I cling onto the edge of the pool. My breathing is rapid, but I can't tell if it's because I was underwater for so long, or because of what I just saw. No, what I just held in my hands. Think, think Katniss. Thirteen does all things nuclear power, right? I shake my head at myself. I don't know the first thing about nuclear energy. I'll ask Gale when he gets here.
Gale! I completely forgot that he's on his way. I shouldn't be wasting time here. I get up and out of the pool, and run to the kitchen, still dripping wet. I groan at myself. I have nothing to get dry with. I'm going to leave a dripping wet trail wherever I go. Why did I not think of this before? I desperately grab at my shirt and try to wring it dry, but it's pointless. I feel like sinking behind a crate and hiding there until they find me and kill me. But I can't do that, especially not now. Not with Gale and Peeta and Haymitch on their way over. I need to keep going.
The kitchen is empty, as I predicted. I start digging around for a kitchen towel, and I don't end up very dry, but it's a lot better than before. I'm aware of the technology here, and the security cameras that are probably planted in every room. Fortunately, I don't see one here. There has to be some kind of uniform I can change into…
I walk into the next room, and immediately get down. Someone, for some unthinkable reason, has decided to work extra hours. I'm stuck in the doorway between the wet and dry kitchen, contemplating what to do. Then I remembered being on kitchen duty with Gale, and how there was a small changing room where we have to change into our kitchen uniforms. Whoever she is seems to be completely engrossed in whatever she's doing, and I make it by without her noticing. I slip into the changing room and am immediately overcome with relief. Her clothes look about my size, and she has a cap. She must be quite young, then. I don't have time to feel bad about taking her clothes. I just can't believe how lucky I got.
Getting around is pretty simple with the cap. I restyled my hair, even wore the cap sideways to decrease suspicion. 13 has a really complex building though. The elevators go sideways, as well as up and down. I try to click the buttons I remember…until I end up at the 'jail' where my prep team was kept. There's no one here, and I can't help but be confused, and even a little bit scared. I'm about to leave when I hear crying from the very same room that Octavia, Flavius and Venia were kept. What am I supposed to do?
I stand at the door and try to think of a way to get it opened – it's a jail cell, the guards should have the keys. I lean against the door for about two minutes, trying to think of a way to open it. Then I remember that they chained my friends to the wall, and whoever is in there is probably just as chained up as they were. I turn and try the handle – it's open.
I don't think I'm breathing. It's young girl, only a little younger than me, and she is covered in her own blood. I don't know what she did against 13, but this is obviously their alternative for screwing up their speech. She whimpers when she sees me. It takes me a moment to realize what I must look like, and what she's probably come to expect. I feel my heart going out to this girl.
"Hey, hey, no it's okay…" I slowly walk up to her, as if approaching a puppy. "I'm Katniss…"
Her eyes widen and I immediately regret saying this. Katniss. The Mockingjay. The insane leader of the rebellion that killed the new president. The last real Hunger Games victor.
The one who started this mess in the first place.
"Listen, I don't know why you're here…" something in her eyes tells me that she does. I decide not to ask further for the moment. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"
She's too weak to respond. I slowly run back to the hallway to check that there's no one there, and I close the door, using only the light from the small window of the door to see. I pull out the Swiss Army knife that Gale once gave me, "in case you ever need it for something," he said. Perfect. With odds like mine, this probably won't be the last time I have to use it. I fumble around with it, pulling out tool after tool, mumbling reassurances that I'm not going to torture her, and at the same time trying to think about how to get her free.
I come up blank. I don't know how to unlock chains without a key, I've never had to do this before. I get frustrated, and end up stabbing a tool into the keyhole. The girl yelps, and I can't help but think of how Peeta and Johanna were tortured in the Capitol…
I can't think anymore. My mind has shut down, but my instinct is taking over. I leave the knife stuck in the keyhole and slam both my fists on it. To my surprise, it opens. The girl stares at me.
"Don't worry, I don't know where that came from either…" I mutter. I look up into her eyes. "Not chained anywhere else?" She shakes her head. "Let's get out of here."
We run to the elevator, and down a million hallways until we finally find a bathroom. I get her cleaned up, and inspect her wounds. No use. I don't know a thing about this. My mother, or Prim…
I silently reprimand myself. I need to keep all emotional thoughts out of my head. We'll get this girl clothes later. For now, we just have to keep her hidden.
We're about to leave the bathroom, then I remember something. "What's your name?"
She looks away for a moment, hesitating before finally saying, "Marigold."
Marigold. Named after a flower. Just like Prim…
The urge to take care of her intensifies. "Alright then, Marigold. I can try to get you out of here, but I don't really have a way out for another couple of hours. In the meantime, I have some things I need to find. Would you mind coming with me?" She looks a little scared. "I guess I could bring you outside…and when I'm done I'll meet you at the fence?" Her eyes get big, and she shakes her head. So far, she's only said one word, but somehow managed to convey everything through her facial expressions. I guess it could be useful when there are people around.
"Let's get going then."