𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫

Four - Leaf Clover

***CATO POV***

I was chasing some tribute, probably from District 6, or maybe 5, honestly, it didn't matter, all I know, she had red fair. My feet pounded against the dirt, and the thrill of the hunt pushed adrenaline through my veins like fire. I was almost there, so close to taking them down, when it happened.

A scream.

Her scream.

"Cato!"

It was Clove, and the sound of her voice was like a knife to my chest. I froze, my heart slamming against my ribcage, and for a split second, I couldn't breathe. Then she screamed again, louder this time, more desperate.

Clove never sounded like that. Not her. Not my Clove, who laughed in the face of fear, who was deadly with a blade and lived for the thrill of the kill. But that scream? It was full of terror.

I forgot the tribute in front of me. Everything around me blurred into nothing but noise and shadows. All I could hear was her voice. All I could feel was the desperation clawing at my throat as I whipped around and sprinted toward her.

"Clove!" I shouted her name as my legs pumped harder, the world spinning around me as I shoved my way through branches and foliage. My chest burned, but I didn't care. All that mattered was reaching her, getting to her before—

No. Don't think that.

"Clove, hold on! I'm coming!" My voice cracked as I screamed her name again, but the only answer was silence. A sickening, heavy silence that wrapped itself around me like a noose, choking me.

When I broke through the trees and saw her lying on the ground, it felt like the world stopped.

Thresh was standing over her, a bloodied rock in his hand. Clove was on her back, her head twisted at an odd angle, blood streaking down her face. She wasn't moving.

Rage erupted inside me, hotter than anything I'd ever felt. It was blinding, suffocating. I launched myself at Thresh, but he bolted before I could reach him. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

All I saw was her.

"Clove..." I fell to my knees beside her, my heart hammering in my chest as I reached for her. My hands hovered over her, not knowing where to touch, how to help. There was so much blood, streaking down her forehead, dripping onto her lips, soaking into the dirt beneath her.

"Clove?" I whispered, my voice shaking as I brushed the blood from her cheek. Her skin was already starting to cool. "Come on, Clove. This isn't funny."

She didn't move.

Panic clawed at my throat, making it hard to breathe. I grabbed her hand, squeezing it hard, waiting for her to squeeze back, to give me some sign that she was still there, still with me.

Nothing.

"No, no, no," I murmured, pulling her into my arms, cradling her against my chest. "Clove, wake up. Please, wake up. You're stronger than this. You're tougher than this. Come on."

Her head lolled back, her face slack, her eyes half-closed. She wasn't looking at me. She wasn't looking at anything.

"Clove!" My voice cracked, my throat raw. I shook her gently, then harder, desperation taking over. "Wake up! Damn it, wake up!"

But she was gone.

The truth hit me like a freight train, knocking the air from my lungs. She was gone.

"No..." My voice came out as a broken whisper. I held her tighter, burying my face in her neck, inhaling her scent—blood, sweat, and something uniquely her. "You can't leave me. Not like this. Please..."

I rocked back and forth, clutching her lifeless body to me, refusing to let go. I wasn't ready. I'd never be ready.

The arena was silent around me, the chaos of the Games distant, as if it didn't exist anymore. There was only Clove and me, and the emptiness that filled the space where she used to be.

She was supposed to survive. We were supposed to survive. Together.

I brushed her blood-soaked hair back from her face, wiping away the streaks of crimson with shaky fingers. Her brown hair, always pulled back in a sleek ponytail, now tangled and matted with dirt and blood. I tucked a strand behind her ear, like I had a million times before, my hand trembling.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I wasn't fast enough. I should've been there." A sob caught in my throat, and I swallowed it down. "I should've protected you."

Tears blurred my vision as I looked at her, the girl who had always been invincible in my eyes. She'd never been afraid of anything, never let anyone see her weak. But now...she looked so small. So fragile.

I glanced around, my mind fuzzy and slow, and spotted a patch of wildflowers growing nearby. With shaking hands, I reached for them, plucking them one by one. They were delicate, soft, nothing like the brutal world around us.

I laid them around her, carefully, as if the flowers could somehow make up for the horror of it all. As if they could bring some kind of peace to her lifeless form.

She looked beautiful, even in death. Like the warrior she was, but also...something softer, something I'd never had the chance to tell her she was.

I stayed with her, clutching her hand, pressing it to my chest as if that could somehow bring her back. I talked to her, whispered apologies, memories, promises. Promises I would never get to keep.

When the hovercraft came, my heart shattered all over again. The metallic claw descended from the sky, ready to take her from me forever.

"No, I can't win this, not now, not without you," I whispered, choking on the word as I leaned down, pressing my lips to her forehead. I held them there, my eyes closing as tears streamed down my face. "I'll see you soon, my four-leaf clover," I whispered, my voice breaking on the last word.

The claw lifted her from my arms, and I watched, helpless, as it carried her away, disappearing into the sky, as they took her from me for the last time.

And I was left behind, alone.

———————
Hello everyone,

If you saw my conversation board, you will know that starting tomorrow I will be taking a break from this app.

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've decided to take a break from writing.

This isn't goodbye, and it doesn't mean my books are discontinued, they're just on hold for now.

I need to step back and take some time to focus on my mental and physical health, and I hope you can understand how important that is for me right now.

It's not easy for me to do this because I love writing and sharing my stories with all of you, but I know I need to take care of myself first. I'm really sorry if this is disappointing, but please know that I'll be back as soon as I'm ready, with more to share. Your support means the world to me, and I promise I won't be gone forever.

Thank you so much for understanding and for being patient with me. I'll be back soon, stronger and ready to dive back into the worlds we've created together.

          -Charlotte<3