Almost Forever

Chapter 21

Peeta's POV

Michelle looks stunned by what I just said. I can tell she's contemplating on what she should do. She smirks.
"Fine. You can take her place."
I sigh in relief.
"Take her off the chains." She orders the guards.
They take the chains off, but don't ever bother to hold her body up. They let it drop to the ground like she is a rag doll. It takes everything I have, but I manage to brake through the guards grasp and run up to her. I sit down next to her and lay her head on my lap. She is so pale. A few tears roll down my face. "Katniss..." I carefully brush her hair out of her face. I lean down and kiss her forehead and whisper
"It's going to be okay. I promise." One of my tears falls gently on her face. I see her eyes just barely open.
"Peeta." She says in the softest tone. "I'm right here." I slightly smile. "Where are we?" She sounds so weak. "We're at the Capitol."
"How did w-" she passes out.
I look up and see Michelle standing over me. I look back down at Katniss' lifeless body.
"You did this." I mumble.
"Come on Peeta."
"No." I say firmly.
"We had a deal."
"I can't just leave her. Please let me take her to the hospital."
She huffs. "I'll have someone take her to the hospital, but you aren't going anywhere."
I have no choice. "Alright."
I lift Katniss off the ground and hand her to a guard.
"You come with me." Michelle takes my arm and drags me to a different room. It's lit with two candles. From what I can tell, it looks like dinner set up for two. "
Surprise." Michelle smiles.
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."
"Sit down."
"Fine." I take a seat and don't bother to look at Michelle.
"Come on Peeta. She'll be okay." I'm doing all it takes not to reach across the table and hurt her. I look up at her with a blank expression.
"Are you sure you don't want to eat?" "Yeah I'm sure."
"Suit yourself." She starts eating. I sit silently the whole time thinking about Katniss. No matter what Michelle said, I just ignored her.
Michelle didn't appreciate that I ignored her the whole time.
"Peeta, if you keep ignoring me, you will regret it."
"How so?"
She slyly smiles. "Stop ignoring me otherwise you'll find out." What's the worst she could do. She already has Katniss, what else could she take from me? I just keep ignoring her. She finishes eating.
"Alright. I didn't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice."
She takes my arm dragging me out of the room. I pull out of her grasp and start running for the door, but two guards stop me and takes me back to Michelle.
"Almost." She smirks. She takes me down three long hallways and into a dingy, smelly cell room. I look around and it reminds me of where President Snow took me and tortured me. I look at the walls. The cell at the edge of the rooms walls is splattered with blood. It looks like it's been there for awhile. Michelle throws me in the cell with the blood on the walls.
"Remember this cell Peeta?"
"No, I've never been in here."
"Maybe this will help your memory." The guards throw me in the cell with the blood on the walls and start beating me.
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" I yell in pain.
I see put of the corner of my eye someone or something, just before I black out.