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here I am / not quite dying / my body left to rot in a hollow tree
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Katniss
My eyes flicker open at the throbbing in my head, a steady pulse of pain starting behind my eyes and working it's way through my whole body. I wrap my arms around my stomach, already dreading what i know is coming. The pain, the hawk-eyed woman with her needles and her lies. Lies. Lies. The word grows fainter every time, i'm starting to scare myself. A few hours after the last time she came, when the fuzziness left my vision, i realised what she was doing, and i thought of the pearl and my mind cleared.
I thought i could take it, I thought i had enough faith in Peeta to know that it wasn't him, but now, after two more visits, the stab of fear i feel at the thought of him is unmistakable. Lies. I tell myself, lies, trying to break me, i rock backwards and forwards on the floor, pulling at strands of my hair, trying to block out the pain that comes with every thought of the boy with the bread. Underserving. Capitol. Lies.
It's with a tedious familiar screech that a guard enters the room, and i get ready for the usual weak scuffle i put up as he wrestles me into the chair, but he just stops, his hands folded behind his back as he stands by the door. i hear the whirring of machinery and turn my head, a screen appearing on the wall opposite me, the capitol anthem blaring along with the dreaded symbol. I'm too confused to react when someone lifts me into the chair, but the cold metal brings me to my senses, my brain shuffles, unsure, and when someone lifts the hair from my neck to inject the needle, i instinctively thrash out, my head cracking against someone else's. I hear a squeak and know it's that woman, the liar, the poisoner. Without a word a strap comes around my neck from behind and i choke, feeling it being secured into a place where i'm not suffocating, but i can't move my neck.
My body is held completely still, they could hang this chair upside down and i wouldn't move. I stop struggling, i don't fight, just prepare in my head for what i know is coming. Lies. Not real. Lies. Someone yanks my head up from behind, forcing me to look at the screen. As my eyes adjust to the brightness i take in what's being broadcast, the symbol in the corner tells me it's live. It slowly focuses on the looming figure of President Snow, sitting behind a desk with the Panem flag behind him, the beginnings of hatred bubble in my stomach.
"This mandatory broadcast is here to show the execution of justice, to display the consequences of such unsavoury actions that endanger the capitol. The beating heart that keeps your home alive" He moistens his lips and i shudder.
"It is also here to act as a warning to those desperately trying to band together and attack a system that has been their salvation for hundreds of years, here is what you are so pitifully attempting to fight". as soon as he finishes, the camera cuts to the familiar stage, except now there are no interviewing chairs, no lush velvety carpet, the area is flat and bare.
Except for the blindfolded figures kneeling on the ground.
My heartbeat starts to speed up, my eyes fixed to the screen, tuned out of everything but what's in front of me. An echoing unfamiliar voice booms over the stage.
"You have been charged with assisting the insubordinate movement, and been found guilty. Perpetrators of such heinous crimes are not to be walking among us. The sentence for what you have done is death" One of the kneeling people whimpers and starts to shake, with fear or tears i can't tell, and my eyes dart around, wary of what i might be about to see
"Venia Cassoway" a guard steps forward and removes the blindfold from the first person, i recognize the faded blue hair and gold tattoos of one of my prep team, the one that prepared me for the hunger games, waxed me and made me decent enough for the cameras that never left my face. She was the strong one, doing things when the others were too upset, and i can see it in her face now, staring up at the guard, her mouth set, but there is fear in her gold-ringed eyes.
"Octavia Allendale" the voice says as they approach the sobbing figure, as they remove her blindfold i see her face, shining with tears, her eyes red and puffy against her pea-green skin. My breathing quickens, not believing what they say i'm about to see
"Flavius Derenius" his eyes dart along the line beside him, his orange hair quivering as he shakes with fear. I start to shake my head, almost involuntarily, desperately looking around me for something, anything to help, but whoever is in this room with me, they're behind my chair where i cant see. I struggle against my restraints, not wanting to hear the name i know is coming.
"Cinna Trinary" My heart stops, my limbs start to shake and i whimper as i feebly try to reach him, but i'm completely immobile, completely helpless. Totally useless. His face is blank as he stares, not at the guard, not down at the floor, but straight at the camera, straight into my eyes.
I'm so numb with fear that i barely feel the needle go into my neck, don't even register the familiar pulse of the liquid throughout my body, i'm just staring, staring into Cinna's eyes, willing him to know i'm here. The guard behind them cocks a sleek silver gun, beautiful and deadly. He moves to the end of the line, behind Venia, and places it at the back of her head, and that's when my brain goes to hell. As the guard glances at the camera he raises his visor, and Peeta bares his teeth.
The shot goes off, and she collapses forward, the shot pans to the side, into Octavia's crying face. I breathe heavily, my whole body tensing and shaking as i breathe the words Lies lies lies. He takes the gun to her, and i open and shut my eyes trying to squeeze him from my vision. Her last tears splash on the ground as she falls. Peeta's dark eyes twinkle with laughter No i think lies. He moves to Flavius, almost grinning as he pulls the trigger, Flavius lets out a groan as he dies, my hands clench on the arms of the chair. Lies.
Cinna is still looking at the camera, and he doesn't sob, he doesn't cry out, just takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. The shot jolts him from behind, and i think i scream as he seems to fall in slow motion, my stylist, my helper, my friend. I know there's something i'm supposed to remember, but i can't catch it as i'm consumed by anger, the rage burns up inside of me and i explode, screaming and howling at the man poised above Cinna's body, have i ever trusted this monster? This crazed killing machine, laughing at the horror he's caused. Everything we all thought he was was a lie, we were all fooled by this murderer, all the things he said
Lies.
"The President would like to inform the public that these criminals are in no way connected to Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is one of our most devoted citizens, she knows that what goes against the capitol goes against all of us, she is currently in hospital after a savage attack from the very people those criminals worked for. As soon as she has made a recovery i have been told she might give a longer interview of her view on why these terminations were necessary. Please keep sending your get well cards, next on the program, the latest shortages in-"
A/N
Helloooooooooooooooooooo cowboy. How are you? Good? Me too. Having a great day? ....
okay maybe i haven't updated in ages and maybe i feel guilty. Sorry about all that ...also sorry about this chapter, i thought i was putting tonnes into it but it turned out really short, sorry for all the death and the fact i haven't really edited, just sorry in general. I might have been busy but i also might have found distraction in the form of The 100 (Murphy ftw s2 is best) but hey, thanks over for now (sobs) so here we are
As always, tell me everything you think about this minor-fail of a story, and, as usual, please explain why you hate it, or the opposite, that's nice too. Thanks for quite a few people adding this to reading lists, that made me a little happy. votes are always good, comments are even better, if you're even reading this you're provably the greatest thing ever
lyric -The Next Day, David Bowie
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| The Jabberbird | THG |
FanfictionCoin got what she wanted, Peeta was lifted from the Arena, safe in the arms of the rebels desperately trying to use him for their cause. But Katniss was taken, lowered into the capitol's dungeons, with no idea of the war that has started around her...
