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"where the sun never shines." ________
"My girl, my girl, don't lie to to me. Tell me where did you sleep last night. In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines. Will shiver the whole night through." I quietly sang a song that Johanna had taught me when I had taken a rather rough beating. She said she thinks that it originated in her district. I either sang that to myself, or a morbid nursery rhyme that I knew from home. Everyday, Peeta becomes less like himself. I wondered how my family was doing. For all I knew, Snow could've had them killed.
The cell door opened, and Thist, one of the most harsh peacekeepers of the bunch grabbed me and brought me to another room. It was getting harder to fight back.
"When are you going to learn that the only way for this to stop is to tell us what you know?" Thist asked, grabbing a fistful of my hair. I could feel his breathing down my neck.
"I don't know anything, and if I did, you'd still kill me. You might as well cut out my tongue." I growled, causing the male to slap me across the face. Today, I was pushing the limits, but I was too filled with rage to care.
"What do you think will happen if I say what you want to hear? You think Snow will give you some promotion so you can sit at the big boy table? He'd probably have you killed so he could take the credit for himself." I spat. The next thing I knew, he had harshly forced my head against the wall. I felt dizzy, and the possibility of passing out was overwhelming me, but I pushed on.
"Kill me! Kill me, you dickless moron!" My personality seemed to have changed more to my sister's. I remember her getting in a fight with a boy at the beach when she was fifteen, and she had shown no fear.
Thist dragged a knife along my chest, causing me to grit my teeth, and groan in pain. The door opened, and revealed another peacekeeper.
"Thist! Snow wants her on the screens with Mason and Mellark now. No more time today." The peacekeeper shouted.
Thist groaned in annoyance, but nodded. He put the knife against my throat, looking me straight in the eyes.
"I may be under orders to keep you alive, but that doesn't mean I can't give you hell. You'll see what showing me attitude gets you, girl." He seethed.
"I'm counting on it. Same place per usual? I'm assuming you'll pick me up?" I remark, causing Thist to shake with anger. Once he had stomped out of the room, I let my true emotions show. I tried to hold back my sobs, but it was no use. I hiss in pain, and by now, I begin to think all of the Capitol can hear me.
***
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They'd shown Peeta once on camera, and I saw the toll it took on Katniss. Everyday, I tried to convince myself; if Peeta was still alive, surely Coralia would be, too. Of course, we weren't the star crossed lovers that Panem adored so dearly. I only hoped they liked us enough to keep her alive. Maybe that was selfish of me; I don't know what they're doing to her. It's possible she was better off dead. I sniffle as I tie and untie my rope until my fingers bleed. The Capitol anthem breaks me out of my thoughts, and everyone's attention is turned to the screen.
My heart sinks into my stomach as I see Johanna and Coralia standing on either side of Snow, both showing obvious wounds, and having duct tape over their mouths so they couldn't speak. She looked at least fifteen pounds skinnier, and eye bags were prominent under her eyes.
"Cora..." I whimper.
"People of the rebellion: may this serve as a warning to you. If you are under the impression that joining the rebellion will get you anywhere, take a look at these women beside me. Pay close attention to the bags under their eyes, the cuts on their skin, and the burns all over their body. This, my people of Panem, is where rebellion gets you." Someone grabs Cora's arm harshly, and then the screen goes black.
A sob leaves my body before I can stop it. I can see Marina holding onto Annie for dear life, her whole body shaking. I look behind me, seeing her father bawling in his wheelchair.
When District 13 had picked them up from 4, the peacekeepers saw them trying to run, and shot Orian in the back. Marina was terrified he wasn't going to make it, but he pulled through, and it left the lower half of his body paralyzed. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and turn to see Cora's uncle, Fletcher.
"We'll get her out, son." He assured me, though the fear in his eyes told me otherwise. I could see Mags next to him, who gave me a sorrowful look.
I want to take this rope, and tie it around my throat until I can't breathe, but I know I need to focus on keeping myself alive so I can see for certain that Coralia is back in my arms.
I lock eyes with Katniss, who is quite literally the only person who can understand what I'm feeling. She frowns, mouthing an apology to me.
I hadn't even noticed that she still had the ring made out of rope on her finger.
I run out of the cafeteria, not wanting everyone in 13 to hear my sobs. I hear Katniss shout behind me, but I ignore it. I finally reach a hallway that wasn't occupied, and slid down the wall, shaking while sobbing.
"Finnick." I wipe my tears to see Marina and Orian.
"I should've been with her. I shouldn't have let her be alone...I'm sorry. I...I don't know what to do." I cry, my body shaking.
"This isn't on you, Odair. This is all Snow. He is as vile as they come, and he was the one who took my child..." He trailed off, holding back tears of his own. God, I felt selfish. They were able to hold themselves together, while I had been falling apart.
"Any father would be proud to have you as a son-in-law." He said, wheeling away. Marina sat down next to me, laying her head on my shoulder.
"Everyone thinks that the oldest sibling would be the most protective, but it's always been the other way around. All I want to do is take her place and make sure she isn't hurting." Marina told him.
"My sister is strong. You trained her to be. I want to be as hopeful as my father, but I've seen the bruises and scratches when she would return from the Capitol. I don't know how we're going to get Lia out of this. I do know, that when we do, she'll want nothing more than to be in your arms." Marina said, letting a tear roll down her cheek.
I hear an awkward cough, and see Katniss approaching us.
"I just wanted to say that I don't know Coralia well, but she really helped us in the arena. I won't forget that. We're going to get all three of them out. We'll get them back." Katniss said, trailing off, as she seemed to be assuring herself.
