The boy with the bread: The back story to Peeta Mellark

Chapter 14

Sometimes you just can't think positive. It's impossible. Right now, Peeta can't think of anything good coming out of this situation. He's in a dungeon, probably hundreds of miles away from Katniss. He has no contact with anything or anyone outside his cell, and now he's looking into the eyes of a victor who he thought was fearless, but all he can see in her eyes . . . is the opposite. 

"Who else is here?" Peeta asks quietly, not sure if he's being watched. 

She hesitates for a moment, leaning her back against the wall, "I think--" 

She gets stopped by the sound of screaming. Or crying. Or possibly both.

"No no! Please! St-top!" it's a girls voice. She can barely speak, only croaking out random words in between sobs. 

Peeta gets up and looks around out of his cell, but can't see anything. 

"FINNICK!" the girl cries out. She sounds hurt and scared. Her scream for him echoes throughout the big area, causing them to jump slightly. 

Johanna speaks, not looking his way, "It's Annie. They got her too."

The sounds of footsteps produce from far away. Quickly, Peeta realizes that they belong to Peacekeepers. They are heavy and hard, making loud thumps at every step. They are coming closer and closer towards Peeta and Johanna. 

He looks at her: she's still leaning her back on the one wall, holding her knees up against her chest. Peeta never really got to know Johanna. She wasn't an open book, and yet, he feels like everyone thought they know her. When really, it was really just the way she presented herself on television: a bad ass, tough as stone. 

Two peacekeepers are physically almost dragging Annie. Her red hair is messy, going in all different directions. She's not screaming anymore, but if that piece of duck tape wasn't placed over her mouth, she would be. 

They throw her into the cell next to Peeta's, making him in between her and Johanna. Once they force her in, the cage is locked and she's left on the floor lying down on her side, holding her knees to her chest, and sobbing. 

Peeta walks to the other end of his cell, then holds the bars which he shares with Annie, and calls out her name, "Annie," he whispers it gently, but she doesn't stop shaking. She looks like everything was striped away from her and all that's left is a broken fragile girl, in need of support. 

He speaks a bit louder this time, "Hey, Annie . . . it-it's Peeta--" 

"Don't bother trying," Johanna cuts in, "Give her a few days at least, who knows what they did to her already."

"Yeah but I should try to help her anyway," Peeta shoots back, "I mean, look at her . . . she looks terrible. Hurt even." 

"Well that's very nice of you to say to a woman, but hate to break it to you, that's what Snow does. He breaks people, ripping their heart's out one piece at a time. Making it as painful and horrible as possible." Johanna says the last part slowly, while looking forward, staring into nothing. 

Then the lights turn off, leaving them in complete darkness, Peeta finds his way back to the wall and leans against it, closing his eyes. Soon enough, sleep finds him, with the faint sound of sobs in the back round. 

                                                                *    *    *

Peeta jolts awake when an alarm begins to ring loudly. Immediately, he covers his ear and screeches when the sound gradually gets louder and louder. Johanna is doing the same, and Annie remains in a crouched ball, rocking herself back and forth. 

After about thirty seconds of the alarm blasting throughout the area, it stops and they uncover their ears. 

"It's such a lovely morning today, don't you think?" President Snow appears in front of them, wearing a white suit, a rose sticking out of this pocket. "Well, you would defiantly agree with me if you were to take a look outside."

Johanna speaks up in a sour voice, "Are you going to tell us why the hell you locked us up or do you plan on mocking us all day?"

Snow smiles and walks closer to her cell, "Ms. Mason, I'll have you know that there is a very good reason for doing this--"

"Then tell us," Peeta interrupts. 

Snow faces his direction and continues, "An error occurred during the Quarter Quell. An Error that could lead to something horrendous, such as war."

"What does that have to do with us being here?" Johanna asks, "Where are the other tributes then? Finnick, and Beetee and Katniss--"

"You will not worry about them right now, Ms. Mason. Right now . . . I need you, Mr. Mellark. We have a job to do." He walks towards Peeta's cell and unlocks the door and Peeta stands up, looks back and forth from Annie to Johanna, then walks out of the cell, no longer feeling like a caged animal. 

"As for you two," Snow says to Johanna and Annie, "Sit tight for a little longer, but don't fear, we will soon need you as well."

"Where are you taking me?" he asks Snow as they walk. 

"Just stay silent until we get there . . . you'll find out everything soon enough."

What does he mean by everything? Peeta thinks, How much information is everything to him? 

They walk until the hall ends, then enter a door that leads to several more, and finally arrive in a big room. It looks like it's used to film television. 

Peeta walks behind President Snow and immediately recognizes the people that fill the room: Capitol citizens. 

There are make-up stations and dozen of men and women scurrying around. 

When they see him, whispers between groups of people begin. Peeta knows they are probably talking about his pale skin, or deep scars and the bags under his tired eyes. 

They make a turn and a familiar face approaches them: the one that he's watched on Capitol TV for as long as he can remember. The Man's purple hair stands out from the crowd easily. 

"Peeta Mellark! Nice to see you again!" Ceaser Flickerman places his hand on Peeta's shoulder and says this in that cheerful voice he use's on television. 

"What's going on?" Peeta asks, now really curious.

"Well it's time to do an interview of course!" he says, "and can you guess who our special guest will be?"

All eyes land on Peeta when Ceaser says this, and obviously he knows what that means. 

__________

Yeesh has it been about a month already???                                                                                                        Sorry about that . . . but here's the second chapter of Part two! Hope you guys liked it, let me know your thoughts as usual :) 

Anywho, happy reading, 

-erica