𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.Cato Hadley

25.

~•~•~•~
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰.
~•~•~•~

We both start running as soon as we see the mutt. I run as fast as I can but I know this creature is not far from me, at all. This thing is kind of like a dog but much more bloodthirsty than a normal one. The typical mutt created by the Capitol will haunt us until it kills us. 

Cato let me run ahead of him, probably to have some visibility of where I am. Even when the Careers were chasing me, I felt slightly terrified that someone was chasing me to kill me. Now it's even worse because I know that if this creature reaches me, I'm done. Just when I think it can't get any worse, I realize that the mutts have increased in number.

These animals make terrifying noises, and when you add the fact that it's dark and you can't see where there are trees, you can very easily bump or trip. Thank God, we go out to the meadow where the Cornucopia is. We run with all our strength towards it, knowing this is the only place to save ourselves from the mutts.

Cato immediately helps me to climb up and when I'm on the top of the Cornucopia, I try to help him. I see that the mutts have almost reached the boy. I give him one hand and he takes it, and with the other, he manages to pull himself up and his legs help him to climb up. Good thing Cato's strong or I wouldn't have been able to pull him off.

Just as Cato is already on the top of the Cornucopia, someone grabs me and pushes me to the ground. I look up and realize it's Thresh, who goes to punch me in the face but Cato catches him and throws him to the ground. The two of them fight for a while which gives me the chance to adjust my arrow. However, Thresh understands my intentions and manages to elbow Cato's face, making him dizzy.

The boy walks towards me and I swing the bow at his face but he ducks. Thresh pushes me to the ground again but this time my head is hanging over the edge of the Cornucopia. He grabs my neck and I can smell the breath of the mutts ready to bite me at any moment. I try to get out of Thresh's grip but he's got my neck so tight that I'm starting to lose my air. My eyes begin to close and I surrender to struggle. Just then, Cato grabs Thresh's whole body and pushes him with all his strength to the ground.

I cough a few times trying to get my breathing back to normal. Thresh's tight grip on my neck is making it difficult for me to handle the situation. I'm sure I won't be able to say even a word, right now. All I see is the two of them fighting and throwing each other around the Cornucopia.

The two are equal, it will be hard for Cato to handle him alone. First Cato is on top of him trying to get to his sword, then Thresh knocks him off and now he's on top of him. I try to reach my bow by crawling to it.

When I manage to grab the bow, I realize it's too late. I see Thresh elbow Cato in the stomach and swing his weapon at his head. This causes Cato to stagger back enough to fall down to the mutts. 

No. This can't be happening.

"Cato!" I make a pointless attempt to scream.

I hear Cato's screams and the fury takes over me in full force. The moment Thresh starts to approach me I shoot an arrow straight into his heart and he dies instantly. I hear the cannon, expecting two, but never hear a second one. I don't even understand how it happened so fast. Apparently, I'm too panicked to process what had just happened.

Without fully realizing my killing of Thresh, I rush to the end of the Cornucopia to see the mutts trying to eat Cato's body. I shoot an arrow at one of the creatures but see that a new one appears in its place. I realize it's useless to do so and see I only have one arrow left.

As I try to find another way to remove them from Cato's body I hear his cries. Just listening to it terrifies me. No, there's no way I'm going home without him, there's just no way that's going to happen!

I'm waiting and I don't know what to do. Cato's not dead yet, that was the rule. Boy and girl can win together. Then why are they still torturing him?

"Melanie, please!" He shouts out. "Just kill me, please!"

I look up at the sky and am waiting for the gamemakers to say that we are both winners. There's no way I'm leaving without Cato. Why haven't they announced the winners yet?

"Attention tributes, Attention! There's been slight rule change. The previous revision allowing for two victors, boy and a girl, has been revoked. Only one victor may be crowned."

Hearing this, I stop in one place. There can't be two winners? How could I believe that the Capitol would allow such a thing? I can't believe how stupid and naive I was to think that. Now what?

The thought of me being the one to kill Cato is unbearable to me. Tears are streaming down my face as I see him struggling and these mutts don't seem to have any intention of finishing him off anytime soon. Why do they have to do it so slowly and painfully? I realize the only way is for me to kill him. This is what the gamemakers want. 

"No...C-Cato," I cry out quietly.

"Melanie!" I have my eyes fixed on Cato's blue ones. This is the only untouched part of the mutts. I can't bear the fact that those eyes can never look at me again... look at me in a way that no one has ever done before. At that moment, I recall the words of a drunken Haymitch the night Cato kissed me for the first time.

I'm sure that whatever happens in the arena, you won't get a happy ending. I promise you.

Now I understand the true meaning of his words. When I heard it, I didn't understand why Haymitch was saying it to me, but now I know exactly what it means. If I die, I won't be alive. If I win, that means I go home without Cato.

This is not a happy ending for me. Haymitch is right, I will be dead either way. And that's because I care about Cato and I don't want to win if he doesn't win with me.

No, I can't do that. I can't win without him. They don't need a winner, they just want a show. I think of the berries I kept in my pocket and take them out. I look at them for just a moment, making sure I'm completely okay with what I'm doing. I know what they do to a person when you swallow one.

But that doesn't stop me. Come on, let's get over with. I raise my hand with the berries to my mouth and just as they are about to touch my lips, a surprising voice calls out from the sky.

"Stop! Stop!" I stand still and hear Cato's cries stop. I look down to see that the mutts are gone. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the two winners of the 74th Hunger Games!"

xoxo.

•AN•

Sooo, I know this chapter is the shortest one I have ever made but I'm not very good at describing the whole fighting thing. I tried to make it more interesting but I'm not sure if I have done it well.

Anyways, I still hope it's not that bad, but it will get better! I already have so many ideas for what's to come and I'm sure you'll love it! You will soon find out what it is!

Best Regards!