No Hope Left-A Mockingjay Story

Chapter 6

Peeta.

Peeta.

I would recognize that voice anywhere. I turn to see Katniss standing in a meadow. I start walking towards her, and she smiles.

Peeta.

The voice has changed, and with it so has the image. The meadow and Katniss melt away, and I see Portia standing beside me as I wait for my que to go on set.

Nothing is more frightening than a fear you cannot name.

The words have been engraved into my mind, and I wonder what she meant.

Peeta.

Peeta.

Peeta.

This voice is strangely familiar, but I cannot place the name. My mind starts to wake up,and my eyelids become less heavy. I open my eyes and sit up.

"Finally," Johanna says. I give her a confused look.

"It took you a long time to wake up," Annie states. I yawn and nod, then I look around to see that my breakfast has already been laid out on the floor of my cell. Compared to last night,it is a rather meager meal, because it is only a piece of bread and a glass of milk. But I still eat it,because I find that I am very hungry.

"What do you think they'll do to us today?," Johanna asks. Brett shrugs in response.

"Maybe they'll interview Peeta," he offers. Neil shakes his head.

"It's too early for that," he says. "They'll most likely wait a little for the last interview to sink in."

"They can start torturing us for information," Brett guesses.

"But I don't know anything!" Annie protests.

"I know you don't," Brett says kindly. "But I think that Snow will torture all of us anyways."

I chew my bread thoughtfully, remembering what the President told me. Make them hate you...make Katniss hate you.

"He's going to use us," I breathe. "He's going to use us to break the ones who love us the most."

Johanna looks like she is about to say something but changes her mind. Everyone exchanges glances, until finally Brett brakes the silence.

"How?" he asks.

"By breaking us first," I say.

I finish my breakfast and set it aside. No one has come to do anything yet. I find a discarded piece of chalk and I draw a flower on the floor. It takes my mind off of everything, and the time seems to go by quickly. Just as I am adding final details to my flower the door opens and the guard named Hadrius stalks in. Wordlessly he unlocks Johanna's cell and grabs her arms.

"NO!" she shrieks. "NO!NO!"

The guard drags her out of the room, and her screams grow fainter and fainter. Brett is leaning against his bars and staring at the doors as if they will come back any second. I look over at Annie and see that she is rocking back and forth, quiet tears streaming down her face. I comfort her and soothe her until she calms down, but I can see that she is on the verge of tears. I look back at my flower, but I do not feel like finishing it. I lean against the wall and look up at the lights. Two of them are not working. I could see the mold and dirt in each one. I could see a spider making it's web between the two that were no longer working. I see the cracks in the cieling,and they seem to resemble a circle.

I must have dozed off, because I jolt awake when I hear screaming. I rub my eyes and see that Hadrius dragging Johanna back to her cell. She looks worse. Her wounds from yesterday are reopened along her back and arms. Her hair is matted to her skull,no doubt from water. She is screaming in pain. The guard throws her into her cell and smirks at her screaming and swearing. I glare at him and gritt my teeth. He catches me looking and his grin widens.

"Ha!Must be sad watchin' your friend die while being in a cage," he chaffs. I force myself to keep quiet, and I expect him to leave. Instead he walks over to my cell and unlocks the door.

"It's your turn," he says.