Deep in the Meadow

|14| illusion syrup (part 1)

"Johanna." I answer in a low whisper, dreading the words as they exit my mouth. Is it possible to be doing the right thing by saving someone from harm, but putting someone in danger by doing so? I don't know?

"Ahh! That's her name! Johanna Mason, Victor of the 71st! How could I of forgotten?" He says smiling. Willow is holding my hand through the bars separating us.

"Where does she live nowadays anyway?" He asks looking toward me again. Probably because he knows Peeta won't open up as easily as me.

"That wasn't the question. I already answered your question so that means one of us can be excused from this torturing you plan today." I say through gritted teeth. I don't realize I'm squeezing Willow's hand until she winces and I gasp and release her. Quickly I apologize and kiss her hand gently.

"It's ok mommy." She says.
"I know you would never hurt me." Willow rubs her hand and looks at me with her giant blue eyes. My heart shatters. What have I done. I can only save one of my children from today, not both. One of them has to get hurt.

I give her an uneasy smile.
West rolls his eyes and interjects.

"Ok, fine. Pick who you want saved. And remember, I chose Willow to go first." West declares looking at Kennedy, whom he ordered to set up the 'glass box room' whatever that means. Kennedy nods to him and goes to a panel near the mutation section. After flipping a few switches, a section of floor right in front of our cells opens up, revealing glass underneath. The glass slides upward and none to my surprise it turns out to be a glass box. No, a glass room, that sits right in front of our cells and gives each of us a perfect view of the dentist-like bed in the center.

"Are you going to pick, or should I pick for you." West urges. I glance at Peeta and realize he is staring at me.

"Katniss.." He says nervously shaking. I can only imagine that he doesn't want his kids going through what he did in his last visit here.

"I-" I start but don't know how to finish. Who do I chose? How can I chose?

"Can't we make a negotiation? Can't Willow and Rye both be exempt from today's torture? Is there another question we can answer? Please-" Peeta pleads but get abruptly cut off.

"Yes there is another question, but I'm not asking it now, because that wouldn't be any fun. The fun happens when we have more to torture. I'm not going to give up my fun just so kids can be saved from torturing. It's obviously going to happen at some point." West smiles.
"So I'll choose! Rye will not be participating in this days torture, and that is finale! Now, can we get this started Kennedy?" West asks.

Peeta gasps.
"No! Don't touch Willow! Or Katniss!" He yells. My palms start to sweat and I grab Willow's hand through the bars again, knowing that she is going first. She's confused and scared at all the sudden commotion.

"Mommy, what's happening?" She asks as Kennedy starts to unlock her cell door. A few scientists glance our way. I make eye contact with the long brown haired lady and I see anything but enjoyment in them.

"Sweetie, listen to me. Don't believe what they say. They are mean people and will hurt you but-" I stammer getting louder as I speak, before Kennedy rips her away from my grip on her hand and carries her scared body to the glass room.

"No!" Peeta screams starting to tear up. Sweat drips off my forehead and I go to my cell door and try to yank it open. It's no use though, the lock won't budge.

"Stop!" I scream as Kennedy opens the door to the glass room, and plops the kicking Willow on the bed. He quickly straps her down securing her legs so she can't kick anymore, then her wrists.

Tears pool my eyes.

"No! Stop!" Peeta shouts, finally waking Rye.

I watch helpless as West enters the room and tells Kennedy to leave. As he leaves, a worker enters the room and shuts the door.

"Illusion syrup." West orders. I can hear them clearly through the glass. But I guess hearing screams of pain is part of the torture.

The worker grabs a glass vile on a small table beside the bed that I didn't see before, and dumps the contents into a syringe.

"Here you are master West. Illusion syrup." The worker answers.

West takes it without a thank you and walks over to Willow. Her face is confused and rejected. Tears are spilling from her eyes.

West smiles evilly and stands beside the bed.
"Don't worry. We won't hurt you. You will only hurt yourself after this enters your system." He tells her motioning at the shot in his hand.

She winces. She hates shots.
I watch in horror as West pulls up the sleeve of her sun dress and injects the shot.

"Mommy!" She cries. It's just like she does when she gets shots at the doctors, but there I can comfort her. Here I can't.

She cries and cries as my heart shatters. Peeta has fell to his knees trying to yank the lock out of the bared door. I didn't even notice that the brown haired nurser came to hold Rye and calm his crying. She watches in terror as West injects the shot in Willow. Almost like a concerned parent.

Willow struggles against the restrains until West pulls the syringe from her arm and hands it to the worker.

"There! All done!" He cheers. The worker disposes the shot and unstraps Willow.

That can't be all? Just a shot? He said that she will hurt herself. So maybe that's what will happen.

The worker, who can't bring himself to look at me and Peeta, holds Willow and brings her back to her cell beside me. The weird thing is, Willow looks terrified, but doesn't fight.

When the worker sets her down on the tiled floor, he walks out of the cell and locks the door.

"Willow." I say wiping the tears from my eyes.
"It's ok sweetheart. It's done." I coo. She just sits on the floor where the guard set her. Unmoving. Looking at the floor in front of her. Shaking with terror.

"Willow?" I whisper. She doesn't move.
Then finally she stands up still staring at the ground.

"B-bugs." She stammers in a shaky voice. Tears start to flow from her eyes and she squeezes her eyes shut.
"Bugs!" She screams. Then she jumps and scratches her leg, as to get a bug off of it.

Illusion syrup. It must feed your mind imaginary threats.

"Bugs! Bugs!!!" She shouts brushing imaginary bugs off her legs and screaming in pain like a bug just bit her or crawled in her skin.
She scrambles onto the table and scratches at her skin. She smacks her face and neck to kill the fake bugs.

"Willow! They aren't real!" I scream, and she dares to look at me. As she does horror fills her eyes.

"Mommy!!! Bugs!! They're on you! They are going to climb in your skin! Mommy!!" She yells. Even though I don't see them, I know she does, and Peeta is yelling trying to comfort her, and tell her that it's all fake. But she doesn't listen. Just continues to scratch at her skin and smack her face and legs. She scratches her arm so much they start to bleed.

"So, who's next?" West laughs.
"We have two more doses of illusion syrup! One for Katniss. One of Peeta." He cheers.

I look at Peeta. He looks at me.

"How about Peeta! You can go next!" West smiles.