Rising Rebellion [#3]

Chapter 19 - Screams

For a long period of time, the silence in John and Sylvia’s cell was overshadowed with screaming on each side of them. Now that John and Sylvia knew that Peeta and Annie was here, it was clear to them that the President had more than enough to do. What seemed to go through John’s mind as he sat there in his silence was that Peeta or Annie didn’t know a damn thing that the President wanted to know. If there were any of his prisoners that knew anything, it was John and Sylvia. They were only ones of the four who knew about the plan before the Games began. They both knew that Finnick wouldn’t risk telling Annie anything and when it came to Peeta, well, he was one of the objectives. He didn’t know anything. But still, Snow managed to find him useful after all. They just didn’t know how.

As the screams could be heard from both sides of their cell, they sat there and supported each other through all of it. John hadn’t really reacted to any of the screams, but Sylvia found it hard to listen to Annie’s screams. She remembered calling her ‘Crazy Cresta’ because of how the Games had left Annie after winning. Sylvia would bury her face into John’s shoulder every time Annie screamed. Whereas John, he didn’t even twitch. Marge’s death was still stuck on his mind. He couldn’t get those lifeless eyes out of his head. He knew this was a part of Snow’s plan to break him down, and right now it was working. Sylvia was desperately trying to get him to say something, anything. But the more she failed to do that, and the more Annie screamed next door, the more everything around her got the better of her.

She managed to get up on her feet and walk towards the wall where she heard Annie’s scream. John looked at her as she moved over. She started banging real hard on it in anger. “If you want to scare someone, come pick someone your own size! You sick bastards, come in here and do it!” She yelled as she continued to bang on the wall. John was trying to move over. “Sylvia, that won’t do any of you much good.” He said as she looked down on him. “Finally, you’re talking.” She said as she calmed down slightly. She turned towards him. “If this results in them taking it out on me instead of her, then this is worth it.” Sylvia started. She walked over to John and sat down in front of him. “She is defenseless in there! I can’t sit here and listen to it anymore. Someone has to take her punches!” She explained.

John could see the pain her eyes, just like she could the pain in his. There was no way he was going to win this discussion and simply nodded. “I know…you’re right.” He said. Sylvia gently touched his face before they both heard Annie scream even louder. Sylvia reacted in anger as she again walked over to wall and banged on it several times. “I told you to come on in here! I’m the one with the information you want! Come freaking in here and get it!” She yelled through the wall as Annie’s screams continued. Sylvia kept on banging on the wall to distract them from Annie, but it didn’t seem to help much. She slid down against the wall and John moved over to sit with her. She leaned her head against his chest as she calmed down slowly.

After a little while, the screams stopped and someone was now trying to open the door. “Oh, Ms. Mason, you’re turn is up now if you don’t mind.” They both heard through the speaker. “I don’t really like the sound of that.” John said as he looked at her. She sighed deeply as she grabbed his hand. “If this means that Annie is left alone, I’ll take it. I can take it.” She said to him. He looked into her eyes. She was determined in a way that scared him. “I know you can, but I’m not so sure that I can.” He then managed to say. “You can do it, John. I know it.” She said. The door was about to open as Sylvia leaned over and kissed John. It was long, soft and deep. As if this could be very last time. She gently touched his face as she whispered something in his ear. “I love you, handsome.” Just as John was about to say it return, the peacekeepers separated them. John knew better than to say it back when they had visitors of this kind.