A/N: Here's the second chapter for today. Maybe I'll give you all one more. I dunno yet. But lemme know what you're thinking. (Starts in Peeta's POV.)

All this time not being able to see, I've completely forgotten about the cameras and the host that are here. I then wonder if we were being taped during the break. What if they all know we're going to try and escape, and they'll be waiting outside to shoot us down? I don't want to think about it, but it's a deep-albeit, horrible-distraction from the torture I'm about to face. ~

At first, I hear them saying something about rats, but someone says that's out of the question because they're so vicious that they'd eat out his intestines. And as we know, we can't have Peeta die here.

"Peeta, I'm over here, okay?" I say to him. ~

"O..Okay." I respond. Hearing the sound of his voice is comforting. "You're staying, right?" I have to confirm after the mental breakdown I had earlier in the day. My heart is pounding in anticipation. ~

I sigh. "Til the end."

Then, I hear one of them mention spikes, and the others nod in agreement. Without saying another word, one pushes a button on the wall. I don't immediately see what the button does, but then I notice several tiny spikes starting to poke out from inside the table. The spikes aren't near his head, but I can see them around him. It isn't until I hear the scream that I realize the points are underneath him, too. ~

Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if basically my entire outer layer of skin hadn't been burned off.

But it was, and there were spikes everywhere, poking into my raw flesh. The pain spread out across my entire body. I let out a scream, because it's just what feels natural to do. I won't stop anything or pretend this time. I'm feeling what I feel. My whole self just hurts. It's impossible to describe aside from just sheer pain. I'm sure each small spot is bleeding by now, because my head starts to hurt a little. Not because I've lost a lot of blood, but just from some. It's always happened, even with papercuts. It's probably pouring from my back onto the table. I can smell it, now. ~

I don't even call out to him this time. Maybe if we don't give them the response they want, they'll pick something else to do to him. This goes on for maybe five minutes until the Peacekeeper pushes the button again and the spikes start retracting into the table. I sit and think that maybe they'll reuse the spikes again later. It seems like too good of a form of torture to only use for a few minutes. So, they take out a few knives and put them near Peeta's face.

"This," I dad says, "will ensure that you can't use those lips again." One of them starts to carve into the edge of Peeta's lips. ~

As soon as I hear Cato's father so close to me, I know it's bad. And suddenly, a searing pain in the side of my mouth took over. I screamed and shook my head as much as I could, trying to get the sharp object away from my mouth...but it only made things worse, my thrashing. ~

"Peeta, stop moving so much!" I yell at him. The more he moves, the worse his cuts will end up being.

They're already preparing what to do to him next. Actually, there's a whole line of items waiting to be used in his torture. I see a whip, but it just seems too simple that I don't expect them to use that at all. When they finally finish cutting him up, they step away and push another button that raises the sides on the table. ~

I cry tears I didn't think still remained in my body. I cannot scream. It hurts too much to make noises other than sobs. I hear a very quiet buzzing noise, and suddenly feel so secluded from everyone else. ~

It stops just above his head. All of the sides are clear, so I can still see him, but I still wonder what they could possibly be doing now. Then, the container that he's in starts to fill with water.

"We decided that this might be a better way," my dad says, laughing. "It was very tedious to pour water on you constantly, so we'll let you thrash in it this time."

The container fills nearly to the top with water, where Peeta has to pick up his head if he wants to breathe. ~

My neck is still burned and scathed to an intense degree, so it was already painful to even try to lift my head. I'd often fall into the pool of water, only to come sputtering out moments later. It was work with this process or die. Twenty minutes ago, I would've let myself drown. But now, I have hope. I told Cato I'd make it through this so we could escape together. So make it, I will. ~

"Send the shocks." No, no, not more of those. He's literally bathing in water now. They'd fry him to a crisp if they don't do anything light. Especially since he's missing some of his skin, and whatever skin he has is burned. I watch as he constantly comes up for air, which tells me that he's really trying. I gave him hope. ~

I can't hear what they're saying, but I don't want to know. I just have to focus on breathing now. If I'm not breathing, I'm not alive. And something tells me that, even though they're heart set on killing me tomorrow, they're not going to make an effort to bring me back if I die today. ~

I think the system they have now is more efficient because all they have to do is put the wires in the water and turn the shock machine on. When they push the button, I scream for Peeta to stay alive. ~

Of course, the moment they turn the machine on, my head is under the water. Everything is light for a moment, and I hear a plead for me to live.

There is nothing.

Then, I am underwater for a bit of time before pushing my head out of the water and staring at what seems to be the ceiling.

Wait.

I can see the ceiling. ~

He's lucky that he keeps coming up for air, because if he didn't, I'm sure they'd do something to make sure he lives through this. They'd be disappointed if they didn't get to spend the next six hours torturing him to death.

They don't spend a lot of time electrocuting him since he'll die with any more shocks. So, they disconnect the machine and pour what I'm assuming to be an acid into the water, which evaporated enough from the heat of the electricity for Peeta to lay his head down but still be able to breathe. ~

The shocks stop for some time, and I can finally take a breath.. Until I feel my back burning. Everything is burning. I feel like my body is being dissolved from my bones. It hurts to do anything. Even breathe. But I scream. I scream because it hurts, and I scream because it hurts to scream. I shut my eyes, because I've just gotten my sight back. I don't want to lose it again. ~

"Peeta!" They stop with the acid and it seems diluted enough that it won't make his skin disintegrate, but they just leave him lying in it. He continues screaming for next hour and that's what makes me regret telling him I'll get him out alive. Right now I just want him to die. "Peeta!" ~

The pain goes on for what feels like forever. Then, the liquid drains and I'm lying there, shaking. I feel raw, like I was sunburnt and left on hot concrete. I let tears drop down my face. He's yelling my name, but I cannot yell. Only let my voice crack out. "Cato..." I get out, so he knows I'm still alive. ~

"Don't cry." I say to him. "Can you see me? You said you wanted to see me one more time." ~

I nod slowly and turn my head. "Don't you.." I laugh weakly. "You made it sound like you were a lot worse. You're still hot." I give my trademark smile. ~

"You're still a midget." I laugh and start thinking that he might be insane. How can he be so calm through all this?

They bring out some odd contraption that towers over Peeta's face. It doesn't look very harmful-then again, I don't know what it is. He just turns and stares at it.

Then, the first water droplet hits his face. ~

"Huh...?" I just look up at the machine. "What is this?" It's not even really cold or warm persay. It just...drips. Over and over on my forehead. If this is all, I can just sit and talk to Cato...that would be nice. ~

"What is happening?" They're not doing anything to him...they're just letting water drip on him. I might as well try talking. "Hey, Peeta." ~

"Hi." There has to be something more to this. A trick has to be somewhere. "So, how do I look now?" I smirk. ~

"Pathetic." I laugh. "Water is the most lethal of all droplets." ~

"Absolutely!" I laugh back and glance over to where the Peacekeepers and Cato's father stand. The latter is smiling, but I don't know why. ~

"I don't know how you'll ever make it through this." I roll my eyes.

Five minutes pass and the water is still falling onto his face. The dripping is starting to get really annoying and I'm wondering what exactly the point of this is. ~

"I might just die." I mockingly stick my tongue out, shut my eyes and play dead. My hair is soaked by this point and I shake my head to dry it off like a puppy. ~

"No more talking. No moving," my dad says.

"And if I talk?" My question is answered with that damned hot iron to my left arm. "Point taken." ~

"Cato?" I call, turning and looking to him and seeing he got hit. "Why?" ~

They lay the iron on his feet. "No moving." ~

"Oh god..!" I clench my teeth. "Got it. No moving." I go back and stare at the ceiling. Drip, drip, drip. ~

This goes on for the next hour or so. In complete silence, almost. Nothing but drip, drip, drip. If I'm going crazy from this, I can't imagine Peeta. ~

After all this time, I'm starting to not be able to think straight. All I know is that the dripping is insane. Oh god. Oh god. I'm starting not to remember why I'm here. My head is pounding. I'm so hungry. So hungry. I need water..but not this water. This is insane. What is insane? Am I insane? I'm insane. ~

Another hour passes by and I'm still listening to the dripping. Am I even alive right now? "Peeta?" Then a pain in my right arm. I'll shut up. ~

What are words? I open my mouth to speak, but I don't know what to say. I don't know if I can speak. I'm pretty sure he's talking to me. I'm Peeta. Aren't I? I'm shaking. Drip. My vision is getting blurry. This is...I don't know. ~

Two more hours of it go by. I spend my time watching Peeta. Drip. He looks like he's about to cry. Please don't cry. ~

I don't know what time passed. What this is for. I'm dizzy. So dizzy. I want to scream. But I've forgotten how. Drip. My breathing is short, and I feel myself twitching. Where am I again? I don't know. Why? Why? What's my name? Peeta. That's right. Peeta Mellark. Drip. I want to die. Kill me. I'm begging you. ~

Thirty minutes down, thirty to go. Peeta must be begging for physical torture. I have no idea how I've made it through. I want to talk to him so bad.

Twenty-nine minutes. I'm counting every second. ~

It's too quiet. Am I deaf? No, I can hear my own breathing and the drip, drip, drip. I don't feel anything. I am not in pain. I am not afraid or scared. I just want this to be over. Preferably by way of fire. Death by flame. How appropriate. I'm not insane. I'm perfectly normal. I'm just fine. ~

Thirteen minutes left. The Peacekeepers are laughing quietly to themselves. Peeta's tub actually filled with some water over the hours but I'm not sure if he noticed. He seems dead already. ~

By some point, the water stopped bothering me. I just didn't feel it. I won't feel a thing again until death. That's all I want at this point. I want to die. The moment I'm allowed to speak, I'll beg. Plead. Drip, drip, drip. Please, kill, me. ~

Four minutes. Four eternally long minutes. Then, Peeta will be taken away from me forever unless I think of a way to save him. I had all these hours, but the water was driving me so insane that I want to fucking die. "Peeta, I'm still here." Iron to the forehead. I just needed to break the silence. ~

I hear something...someone. It's probably just in my head. I'm crazy. I'm probably talking to myself like I am now. Hi, Peeta. How are you?

Pretty crappy, now that you're asking.

Why?

I just want to be dead.

I'm sorry, I can't help you with that.

It's alright. I'll just ask them.

Drip. ~

This, combined with his mystery injections, must be making him go mad. By watching his facial expressions, I can see that he's doing something odd within his mind. Maybe he's trying to figure out what I'm saying. Maybe he didn't even know I said something to him at all. He would've reacted if he knew I said something.

One minute. I hope I counted right. ~

Don't worry. I don't think there's much time left.

What makes you say that?

They're starting to move around. Can't you tell?

I can't register anything.

Well then.

That much closer to the end though.

That's good. I'm glad.

Yeah...me too. ~

Thirty seconds on the nonexistent clock.

This dripping has been driving me crazy for the past five hours and I need it to be over. For Peeta. Peeta, whose life I saved multiple times, so why not once more? There is no plan. It's just find his room, break in, and get him out. It won't be easy, I might not even be able to do it-but it's worth a shot. If I get caught, I'll beg Peeta to kill me somehow. Because I know the Capitol wouldn't kill me. They'd kill him, though, since he was supposed to already be dead.

Twelve seconds. Drip, drip, drip. Nine.

It's like the countdown to the beginning of the Hunger Games. Are we in the Games now?

Five. ~

Is there anyone else there besides us?

I don't think so.

Were there people there before?

I think so.

Who?

That boy.

Hm. That boy. What boy?

Your boy.

My boy?

Yes Peeta. Yours.

Oh. I don't recall.

Cato?

Right, right. Cato. ~

A/N: Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave'm in a review! xx