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▎ RUINS ▎
»»————-　act two. fan the flames
TWENTY THREE ━━ scripted misery

we're all broken that's
how the light gets in

— ernest hemingway

ERIN WATCHED THE SCREEN UNSURE ON WHAT TO think of it. The Peeta sitting there was nothing like everyone had told her about, his carefree spirit and hopeful eyes were dull and lifeless and replaced by some robotic puppet.

The emotionless boy from District 12 that was sitting across from Caesar didn't look too bad, but he also looked too good, like he'd been treated as some sort of king, tricking the people of Panem into thinking the Capitol ment no harm to them.

But even with her weak memory, she knew the only thing that the Capitol left was destructing, burning everything to the ground and leaving the ashes for the other's to remind them they lost and burned in the flames.

Everything always ended up in flames

"Peeta," Caesar began, "a lot of people feel as though they're in the dark."

Peeta nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah. I know how they feel." There was an edge to his normal soft and sweet voice.

"Now, so set the stage for us. Talk us through what really happened on that final and controversial night." Ceaser leaned a bit forward like Peeta was going to tell a secret that no one was supposed to know.

"Well, first off, you have to- you have to understand that when you're in the Games, you only get one wish. It's very costly." Peeta began.

Erin bit hef lip as she glanced at her brother who was intensely staring at the screen, a fire burning behind his chocolate brown eyes. His gaze so heated that Erin would have thought the screen would be set on fire any moment.

"It costs your life," Caesar voiced his thoughts in a monotone voice, like he was reading from a script.

"I think it costs more than your life," Peeta disagreed, his back straight as he looked at the lavender haired man.

Caesar furrowed his brows in confusion. "How do you mean? What's more than your life?"  

"I mean to- to murder innocent people."

Erin bit her inner cheek at his statement. Her own games burned in her mind after the viscious flashbacks she experienced the night before. The way scarlet blood dripped down her hands, crimson stains that cover her body like scars, never truely leaving her. They thought dying was bad, but living was worse, living with quilt and night terrors, reminding you of what you did to survive  could plague someone that bad they'd wish death upon themselves. That was the price you had to pay.

"Ah," Caesar noddded.

"Now, that costs everything you are," Peeta said. Caesar nodded his head, as if could imagine it himself, like he understood what surviving was. "Yes, yes."

"So you, you hold onto that one wish. And that night my wish was to save Katniss." Peeta's eyes were hollow and desolate as if he was already dead, nothing left to live for.

"Yes."

"You know, I should've just run off with her, earlier in the day like she wanted." Peeta admitted.

Erin sighed, not even remembering the horrors that occured in the Quarter Quell. Some part of her wished to be left in the dark but another part wanted to know every detail. The Games has forged her into who she was and without it, she wasn't Erin anymore.

"But you didn't." Caesar pushed.

"No," Peeta shook his head.

"Why?" Caesar asked, "Were you caught up in Beetee's plan?"

"No, I was caught up playing allies. And then they separated us and... that's when I lost her. And then the lightning hit, and uh, the whole force field around the arena blew out." 

"Yes, but, Peeta, Katniss is the one who blew it out," Caesar said as if it was some great secret.

"No," Peeta shook his head in denial and Caesar frowned. "You saw the footage."

"No, she- she didn't know what she was doing. Neither of us knew there was a bigger plan going on, we had no idea." Peeta said exasperatedly.

"You had no idea?" Caesar repeated.

"No." Peeta said back with an edge to his voice.

"Alright. Well, Peeta, there are many who find this suspicious to say the least." Caesar leaned back in his chair, his eyes daring Peeta to say more. But Peeta only hummed, not saying anything else.

"it seems as though she was part of a rebel plan." Ceasar broke the silence and Peeta's eyes flashed up to his.

"What, do you think it was part of her plan to be almost killed by Johanna? Or part of the plan to be paralyzed by lightning? No, we- we were not part of any rebel plan. We had no idea what was going on."

Erin glanced to her side to see Katniss stare at the screen with hatred as she listened to everything Ceasar said, while her eyes settled on Peete, a certain confusing was hidden in her eyes.

"Alright. I believe you, Peeta Mellark. Thank you."

"Yeah," Peeta mutteted.

Caesar gave Peeta a look. "Now, I was going to ask you to speak about the unrest, but I think you might be too upset."

"No," Peeta denied, "no, I can."

"Are you sure?" Caesar asked, his voice cautious as his eyes darted to the screen for a second.

"Yeah, absolutely." Peeta reassured him.

"Thank you." Caesar said with a small smile.

Peeta turned to face the camera, his deep blue eyes staring into the camera. "I want everyone who's watching to stop, and to think about what a civil war could mean. We almost went extinct once." Peeta stated and Erin looked nervously around her as the people of district thirteen seemed to be offended by his words, fueling their hate for the Capitol and now for him.

"Is this really what we want to do? Kill ourselves off? Killing is not the answer. Everyone needs to lay down their weapons immediately." Peeta continued, "for all of us."

Erin couldn't believe her ears as the words left is mouth, the converstation had to be scripted, the words seemed too forced. They just tried to fool Panem and its residents like they were a bunch of idiots who couldn't fend for themselves, like they needed the Capitol to survive. They had proved more than once that the residents of the districts were strong and smart. They maybe didn't realise it, but they were creating an army they didn't want.

"Are you calling for a cease fire?" Caesar asked, pretending to be shocked.

"Yeah, I am." Peeta responded. "I want everyone to stop the senseless violence. This is not the path to change."

Peeta glanced back at the screen, his final words leaving an eerie feeling behind "it's not the path to justice,"

and the screen went black.

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