Crisis of Faith

1

TW: This story will mention drug abuse, physical and mental abuse, and other topics that might be triggering or difficult to read through.
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"Can you tell me your name?"

"Kai- Kaianna Rivers," Kaianna shut her eyes tightly, bracing for the zap to go through her body. She got a zap, every time she answered a question wrong. Even if she thought she knew what she was saying, at this point she could never know, "I'm from district five- four- four I'm from district four."

Her green eyes had gotten so dark, that from a distance they looked almost black, and their sockets were sunken in from exhaustion. She snapped her focus to the woman that was dressed in white, and had her hands rested on the knob that was set to shock on queue. The woman seemed to show a moment of kindness, as she accepted Kaianna's correction. The moment blurred to nothing, as she reached up, and roughly flicked the IV that was injected into the former tribute's arm. Kaianna lazily stared at the yellow liquid racing into her arm, willing her eyes to stay open. Strong was all she knew, and even that was slowly slipping away.

There were a few movements throughout the room. People silently trying to fulfill their duties around her like she didn't exist. Her mouth was dry, and she couldn't remember the last time someone had tried to force food into her mouth. Her bones were far too prominent, and she felt as if she were decaying. She hoped she was.

"How old are you?" The woman snipped Her fingers were clamped on one of the knobs in front of her. Kaianna gazed weakly over the wires connected to the machine, concluding that they were connected to the patches on her temples.

"Twenty five?"

A volt was sent through her veins, shaking her core aggressively. It had started simple. The woman in white began with questions that Kaianna knew the right answer to, and when she responded nothing happened. Enforcing the belief that if she told them what they wanted to hear, nothing bad would happen to her.

"How old are you?" The black haired woman was unfazed by her victim's pleading screams.

"I- I don't know," Kaianna had lost all sight of any answer, her eyes swelling with tears, "how many days has it been? I don't know."

"It's been two weeks. How old are you?" She could barely understand the question over the ringing in her ears.

The past two weeks had felt like two years. Her mind had barely any time or energy to drift to what she thought was everyone else from the arena, and what tortures they could be enduring. Yet, her thoughts took full advantage of whatever they could, leaving her almost lifeless. The only wish that remained, was the sweet release of death. No such mercy existed in the capitol. Not for her anyway.

"Twenty six," Kaianna pursed her cracked lips. Her voice was hoarse from the mixture of exhaustion and dehydration, "as of today."

Her vision was wavering in and out, due to the venom that was coursing through her veins. All that she could see was nightmares. All that she could remember was every bad thing she'd ever known about anyone. All she could feel was pain. Death. If she had enough words, she'd beg for death. If she could get on her knees and cry, she'd cry for her miserable life to end.

"Good," The woman said simply, "what do you know about the rebellion?"

"I- I don't know," Kaianna cut off her own statement with another agonizing cry, "I don't know- a- anything! Please!"

She couldn't see the person that had cracked a whip on her, but she closed her eyes to block the image out anyway. Her arms fought to raise in resistance to the beating but, they were strapped down tightly so all that was given, was a rough tug.