Rising Rebellion [#3]

Chapter 18 - Sacrifice

John managed to pull together whatever he strength he could find, and dragged his way over to Marge. As he did, he saw that Sylvia was coming to her senses again. She had the same cuffs on her wrists as John, and her golden bracelet was gone. “John…” She said as she looked over at Marge. She had been there for a little while, but not long enough to see Marge move a muscle. As John got closer, his fear became true. It was Marge. She was alive! And by the looks of her clothes, she had been there quite a while. That’s when it him. She had to have been here since the District rebelled at the Quell’s twist. “I haven’t heard her say a word or move a muscle.” Sylvia said as she saw that John got to Marge.

“Marge?” John then tried. He could barely hear her mumble. She was weak from the lack of food and water. Having been here for months and having been tortured for months, her body was simply too weak to even keep her awake. “Marge, it’s me…it’s John.” Jon then tried out, but he still couldn’t get her to say anything. He then grabbed her hand. “Listen…just…squeeze my hand if you hear me, alright?” He then asked. It took a while, but after a minute, he felt a weak squeeze. He took a deep breath. “Good…” He said as he tried to sit up against the wall.

Sylvia crawled over to him and crouched herself up against his body. John lifted his arm for her to lean her head on his chest. She let out a deep sigh as she turned her face against his chest. He gently kissed her on top of her head. “I didn’t think I was going to see you again. I woke up here and the only one with me was Marge.” Sylvia said. John tried to comfort her the best he could. “You were unconscious when the hovercraft picked you up. I was awake long enough to see that something was wrong before they knocked me unconscious on the hovercraft.” John explained. “I barely woke up before I was brought to President Snow.” John then added. She looked up at him. “I know why he’s keeping us here.” Sylvia then said. “So do I…he made it painfully obvious to be honest.” John said referring to the cuffs on his wrist. “You don’t say.” Sylvia answered with her sarcastic usual voice.

“And it will continue to be painfully obvious.” The President said standing at the entrance of the cell. John and Sylvia were sitting tightly together as the peacekeepers got them and started dragging the two of them out of there. The last peacekeeper grabbed Marge who was slightly coming to her senses. “We’ll see how quiet you’ll stay now, John.” Snow said as John and Sylvia were led into a bigger room. They didn’t know that they had taken Marge as well, not before she was sitting in a special chair in front of them, all tied up against it. Above her there was a bucket of water. John could see wires leading back to a device that was given to the President. John was breathing hard at what he suspected the President would do if John or Sylvia didn’t give him the answers he was craving for. “Now, this ‘game’ is quite simple. You tell me what I want to hear about the rebellion, and I will not push this button.” Snow said, even though he could see that John had already connected the dots.

John made eye-contact with Marge as her eyes were barely open. She tried to mimic to him, pleading to him to not give in despite of her pain. It really wasn’t something that she needed to do though, John already knew this. He had known her long enough to know those things. The only case, in which she would blame John for anything, it would be for giving in. He nodded weakly as he looked over at Sylvia who had interpreted the same message. However, the nonverbal communication was too obvious for the President to not notice. He pressed the button as John and Sylvia’s attention was brought to the front where the bucket spilled water all over Marge before the electrical shocks came. Her entire body was shaking and buzzing as the volts travelled through her body. The peacekeepers were holding both John and Sylvia as they both tried to launch forward, but was held back with force. “Stop it!” John screamed. He couldn’t take this. It was too much for him.