The wrong lover

Chapter 9

- Katniss PoV -

My back hurts bad as they throw me into my small cell. I feel my head starting to bleed by hitting it on the metal bars. Blood is coming out of everywhere and my skin is sore from getting burnt in some places. I'm in unbearable pain and I know it won't get any better. I shiver as the pain is not only on the inside but the outside. Whatever is in that syringe hurts so badly but it also reminds me of pain I have felt before.

- What happened Katniss? You have been gone for almost a day. Annie says to me.

- I'm fine. I say even though I'm far from it. Blood is coming out of my mouth and I wonder how I haven't bled to death already.

- Even though it is really dark I can see you're not fine. I heard the screams for hours in the end but what about the hours before. I'm just asking. Annie says.

- I'm not saying. I say to her, I cough afterwards and blood comes splashing out. 

- Please Katniss, I want to know the pain you go through. She asks me.

- I don't want you to know and I don't need you to know. I say back.

- Why won't you tell me? She asks.

- Because I don't want you to know what's going on outside of there. I'll take care of that if you just stay safely here. Well as safe as possible. I say to her, I tilt my head towards my cell wall closest to hers.

- I will be so rude to Snow next time so he will punish me if you don't say. Annie says with a confident voice.

- Fine, it was firstly hours of makeup and then another interview where I had to lie. Everybody probably hates me by now. I say to her.

- I don't hate you. They don't either. You are in a harsh position and lying might be the only thing keeping you alive. She says.

- No, if I would tell the truth I wouldn't get to die. That would be sparing my life. If I don't lie for them they will hurt you. I say.

- You don't have to protect me Katniss, this rebellion is worth my life. I promise you it is. She says to me.

- I won't let you be hurt by my mistakes. You have suffered enough. I say to her.

- And you haven't? Your father is dead, your family might be aswell. You were pulled in the Hunger Games twice, you defied the Capitol twice. You are here in the Capitol tortured. You have been struck by lightning. How have you not suffered enough? Annie asks me.

- I deserve it. I'm an idiotic piece of shit. You have also suffered the Hunger Games, your parents are most likely dead aswell. You are in the Capitol away from the man you love. You have suffered enough. I say to her.

- No my parents are still alive and they live as fishers in district 4. Well my father fishes and my mother cooks them and sell it. She says back to me.

- It doesn't matter anymore, I'm the problem not you. So if you just back away I'll take care of this mess. I say.

- Taking care of this mess equals... She begins.

- Yes, it equals torturing. I say.

As she begins saying something I zone out, I remember that I need to write about the new torture method used. I write down burnings on the list and the list is already very long. I know Annie doesn't know that everytime Peeta does a propo my pain doubles, she doesn't even know a hundred procent that Finnick is alive I believe.

- I just wanted to let you know that Finnick is alive. If you didn't know before. I say to her and I know her face lights up with joy.

- Thank you Katniss. Something to live for now atleast. She replies.

- No problem, I just want to know if my family is alive from the Capitol bombings. It's all I want to know before I give up. Then I can go see my father again. I say thinking about him, I smile at the thoughts of him.

- No Katniss. Don't give up, keep fighting, keep fighting for Peeta. Annie says.

- Why? Why do you care about me so much? I ask her.

- I care about anyone that I know has had a really rough time, you're one of them. I also care about the people that keep fighting no matter how difficult it is. And of course I care for those I love, and my friends. I believe this could be counted as a friendship. Annie says.

- I guess we can count this as a friendship. I have never really had any friends. I say to her and I feel her shock.

- Really? You're so pretty and you have a voice of an angel. She says.

- Thank you, and yes. I only had one friend and that was Gale. I befriended him when we were both in the forest. We were both hunting food to help our family. He also lost his father in the mine explosion. He was thirteen at the time and I was eleven. My mother tuned out after her dear husband had died so we couldn't communicate. We were all starving and I had barely any energy. I was outside of the bakery one day trying to search for any bread they had thrown out in the trash. Peeta's family owned it by the way. Peeta explained it to me that he burnt the bread on purpose so he could give it to me. He got hit in the face by his abusive mother but yet he threw it to me. I got a whole loaf of bread even though half of it was burnt. Like super burnt, totally black. I crawled to it because I didn't have energy to stand. I ate a bit of it before walking home again. We survived of that bread for a week. My father had taught me how to hunt so I began going outside of the district knowing I could be shot or turned into an avox to help my family. I put my name inside the jar many times to get food for my family. Me and Gale made a pact after we gained eachothers trust. If anyone of us was pulled into the Hunger Games the other would take care of the others family. That's the reason my family survived when I was in the Hunger Games. That's my one friendship. I say to her.

- I'm so sorry Katniss. Annie says.

- I don't even know if he is alive. I also befriended the mayor's daughter. Nobody liked her because she couldn't be pulled into the Hunger Games. I didn't dislike her for it. It's about it. I was always alone in school and an introvert. That's why I struggled in the interviews because I don't know how to act socially. I say to her.

I feel a stench coming in and I know he was listening to my conversation.

- A beautiful story, thanks for confirming that you went out into the forest. It will only make it more harsh for you here. Snow says.

- I know you won't make me an avox. You need me to stop the rebellion. Will you make the torture even worse? I ask him.

- Yes but not because of the forest thing. I'll let it slide for now. And the reason is because of another Propo. He says.

- Did you get any information about my family from it? I ask him.

- No, they are probably dead and so your friend Gale. I just wanted to keep you updated. It will get worse tomorrow. Snow says before walking out.

I hate this world, I don't know what I did to deserve this. Well I know the Capitol's reason but not the karma reason. There must be something with that in here. I just want to bleed to death or die already. 

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Suzanne Collins owns the novels and characters, I do not.