The Chamber [Sequel to Silence]

33

 The room was white. Too white. Everywhere I looked, white, so white it hurt my eyes. White walls, white flooring, white roses upon a white table next to my white chair. White instruments I had no name for. White as snow. But I welcomed it. Because I knew that once President Snow got his hands on me, they’d be splattered red. He’d torture me, I knew. Then once he got what he wanted out of me, he’d kill me. Pandora too. It was my job to hold out for as long as I could. There were secrets I’d discovered over the years that I couldn’t afford to reveal. At least not until I’d given Raven some time.

 I waited a long time. My wrists ached, pressed uncomfortably into the chair with metal cuffs. I wondered if Valeria had sat upon the same chair. Perhaps Raven had to. I was certain I was in the same room. The Chamber, Snow had called it. I shuddered, my arms weakly pushing against their restraints. I was scared. I was scared of being broken. Of giving in. I sent silent prayers skyward, hoping God might see fit to save me. I’ve only ever tried to do good I thought everything I do, it’s for others. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

 The door opened. There he was. President Snow. A chilling thought came to mind. President Snow didn’t have five years to waste on me, the way he did with Valeria. He had days at most. He wasn’t going to waste time. He was going to dive right in.

 He wore white. Sort of a laboratory coat. His skin was papery as ever. His beard was trimmed for the occasion, and a white rose protruded from his breast pocket. The only relief from the white was a speckle of red on his lip. He smiled and removed a white handkerchief from his pocket, blotting his lips self-consciously like a Capitol woman whose lipstick had smudged. In his other hand, he held a white box with several wires snaking out from it. I tried to keep my teeth from chattering as Snow placed the box on the table.

 “This is a very… interesting device,” Snow said, attaching one of the wires to my little finger, the other to my thumb “It will send electrical currents through you…I wonder how much you can stand.”

 He flicked a switch on the box and I screamed out, currents rushing through my veins. My head felt like it might explode with pain, but it went as quickly as it came, leaving me gasping for breath.

 “You can expect more of that, Mr Rider. Unless you’re willing to give me information.”

 “So tempting,” I said, breathing heavily and trying not to vomit “But offer declined.”

 “Perhaps you’re braver than I first thought,” Snow said, clearly agitated at my response. “I thought you’d give in straight away. I’m not happy with you. I’m losing bets with the Gamemakers over this.”

 “So sorry. I’ll try and perform better next time,” I snarled.

 “So I hope, Mr Rider. So I hope. Let’s take the voltage up another level. See how brave you are then…”

***

 The torture was endless. When President Snow got tired, it didn’t mean a break for me. Gamemakers took over, accustomed to torturing the tributes in the Hunger Games. And with the Games over for another year, they had something to keep them occupied.

 Me.

 Electric shocks, hallucinatory drugs, sharp blades piercing skin. I didn’t give in. I was humiliated, made to endure pain like I could never have imagined, but through it all, I kept my mouth shut about Raven and her plans. I knew there was no way Snow would let me leave. Even if I told him, he’d keep me prisoner, a person to torture when he had no other. Either that or he’d kill me, Pandora and I both. I hoped that she was safe. She had to be. She had to be…

 Twice a day, or what I supposed was a day, I was brought a meal and water. I guess President Snow didn’t want me starving or dying from dehydration. Though it didn’t make much sense when I was sweating hard and I could barely keep the food in my stomach for more than ten minutes.