The whip comes down hard on my bare back. The pain is agonizing. It feels like my back is on fire. I feel blood running from where whip made contact with my flesh. That has to be the worst, right? The first lash must always feel the worst. Just as I finish that thought, the second lash cuts into my back. I am wrong. It only gets worse.
I do not cried out in my pain, but merely grunt as each lash cuts my back and draws my blood. I look over to the side. Katniss is crying into Gale's shoulder as he watches with a look I cannot figure out. I hate seeing Katniss cry. It kills me inside to see her in this pain. Just then the twelfth lash strikes my back and I finally break and cry out in the agonizing pain that covers my back from shoulders to hips.
By lash number 20, I am straining so hard against the ropes holding my wrists that they begin to bleed. My teeth are clenched, anticipating the next strike of pain. The next lash cuts muscle along with the flesh. I cry out in this new pain I can't even describe. I feel like that lash should have been the death of me, it hurt so bad. But I am not so lucky. I'm not even close to unconscious.
Lash number 35 comes, and the pain is starting to fade. My cries lessen. 37, 38, 39, and then the darkness hits.
I am awakened to freezing water pouring over my head. "You need to feel every lash of this punishment." Thread states simply. 40 hits and in my new awakened sense I struggle to stay silent, but grunts still escape. Twice more water is dumped on me to keep me conscious. 48, 49, 50…only 10 left to go. But the next lash doesn't come.
I look over my torn and bleeding shoulder. Thread is holding a new whip. It has 9 lashes instead of 1. Are my last 10 actually going to be inflicted with a cat-o-nine? The first slash of it gives me my agonizing answer. 9 cuts form in my already broken and bleeding flesh. I cry out, I cannot hold this in. 9 more times I am lashed with this terrible whip. Finally the 60th lash is inflicted. I am passing out again and water is poured on me. So i won't stop feeling the pain even though the official punishment is over.
My back feels like it's been burnt to the bone, the pain is indescribable. Threads walks away as Katniss and Gale run over and untie my wrists.