𝐒𝐔𝐍 | 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒

→ 𝐕.𝐋𝐗𝐈𝐕

.

ACT V
CHAPTER LXIV

the horror story starts

THE GIRL IN room 1004 doesn't know how long she has been sitting with her fingers in her ears, knees pulled up to her chest, dried up tears on her cheeks. The screams and cries made by the boy in the room besides her still echoing through her brain. Poor Peeta who is suffering for the plans he didn't even know existed. From everyone in the Arena at that point he deserved the least to come to the Capitol. Another thing the girl can blame herself for.

As sleep nearly finds her again, she hears hard stumps on the floor. She pushes her body up and stumbles lightly against the wall as the room spins around. To her great surprise the door to her doesn't open, no but all the walls around her become transparent, and for a second the girl sees a bloodied Peeta lying in the room next to her. Before the walls turn into a sterile white again. "Peeta," the name barely leaves her lips as she stumbles towards the direction of him. She pushes herself against the wall as she hears the door open. But as she looks towards her door fully expecting Mr. Wells, she is met with a closed white door. Thana lets her mind spin as she drops herself to the floor. Hoping it will swallow her.

...

As the day progresses, though Thana doesn't know if it is day or night, screams echo through the hallway together with footsteps. She recognizes Annie Cresta begging for mercy, crying, screaming. Annie Cresta who has been kidnapped from district 4 to suffer her for what they choose. No, during the creation of the plan Thana never regretted anything. Even in the arena there was no regret among them. But now, now that the plan failed. Of course, there are many, many regrets. There could've been a chance Latif was still alive, there was a chance her family could be safe instead. But no, she had to meddle with odds, she had to play for God with the other victors. They should've accepted their stupid fate, not fight it. Many of them died anyway, many are now living in uncertainty or even here, captured by the Capitol. If the other didn't make it, and even if they did. Death as soon as the arena collapsed would've been a kinder fate, but maybe a fate she doesn't deserve.

It doesn't take Luke Wells long before he forces Thana's brain to stop overthinking. The man strides in with a sadistic grin on his face.

"Did you sleep well?" he mockingly squats before the sitting girl. And motions for another man in black to enter and close the door behind him.

"I wouldn't know," Thana tilts her head, "I need to sleep in order to know if I slept well, don't I?" the girls face is dull and shows no emotion. There even isn't a reaction as Wells hits her with a hard slap.

"This is what I meant," Mr Wells turns to the other man, "this traitor doesn't even answer normal questions normally." He forces Thana to stand as he pulls her up by her hair.

"She will," The other person muses, "you can't say such things after only two meetings, and one of them is just a minute in."

"The others aren't giving answers either," Wells pulls Thana towards the other man.

He simply chuckles, "we all know some of them know nothing," he inspects Thana's face, "she knows things, we must break her. And we will."

"Not in the time we have for this," Wells kicks Thana to the ground.

The other man raises his eyebrows, "are you saying you are inadequate to the task President Snow personally gave you?"

"Of course not," Luke scoffs, "That would be an insult to him and Panem."

"Get to work than," the other man leaves, slamming the door shut.

"You see what you are causing," Wells hangs over the body of Thana, "that while you could've lived in the Capitol like a beloved woman."

"A prostitute you mean," Thana grimaces as he hits her again, "I'd rather not."

Wells grins evilly, "things like that can still happen Miss Jardin. I am sure most of the guard would love to help you get better at it, would President Snow assign you to love the people here physically." He raises his eyebrow at the gasp Thana makes, "we can call him right away if you want. I am sure he is willing to drop the traitor part if you confess and work for him." Snow's eyes in his picture burn holes into the victor.

"There is nothing for me to confess," Thana openly states, "I am not hiding anything."

Luke laughs sarcastically, "tell that to your neighbour, tell that to Peeta."

Thana closes her eyes temporarily, "That is what I thought," Wells pushes Thana to the wall.

"Request to make the wall between rooms 1002 and 1004 transparent." Luke says into a small device. His demand is followed by silence. He pushes Thana towards the wall.

"I request the wall between room 1002 and room 1004 to become transparent."

Thana dully hears Wells scream into this device, before she is pulled up, facing the wall.

A sob escaped Thana's throat as she sees Peeta awake and looking at her in confusion. Tears stream down both of their faces. Wells forces Thana to her knees.

"Tell him you are not hiding anything; tell him you know of nothing." He says to the girl.

"Peeta," Thana whimpers as she feels a knife pressed into her backside. "Peeta." Before Thana's eyes, the blonde boy transforms into her brother. She closes her eyes, turning her head away. She couldn't lie, not to Latif, not to an innocent boy.

"Look at him," Wells shouts, forcing the Thana's face to face Peeta's confused one.

Thana keeps her eyes shut before opening those as well. "I am sorry Peeta," Thana says a mask sliding over her face, "I don't know why we are here, nor do I know why they are doing this to you, to us." She lets a tear slip out of her eye, "I hope the president will get to his senses soon and realises we aren't traitors, so I can still look over his---"

Wells knocks Thana's head into the wall to interrupt her. Peeta gasps in shock as the girl slides down like a puppet whose strings are no longer holding her up.

"No," Peeta's voice is muffled through the wall, "Thana wake up!"

"Let her Mellark," Wells says angry as his plan just failed, "she is the reason you are here."