Remembered - Cato and Clove

Chapter 15 - The Reaping

Cloves POV

Dustin is here. He smells strongly of blood and alcohol, from what I have no desire to know. Oh joy.

"If you want to live I suggest you get the hell away from me." I say.

"Ohh someone is getting feisty aren't we?" He says smirking. In that moment he took out the knife he had in his pocket and I shot up sprinting through the trees. It took me about 20 minutes of running,not looking back to reach the edge of the woods. Walking out, I looked back to see that I was not being followed. I continued a light jog until I got to my house. I'm so drained I hardly notice that Cato is sitting on my front porch.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked. He jumped up and tackled me with a hug.

"Clove, thank goodness your okay."

"Cato, I'm fine. Needed some time to think." I say.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Why do you think something happened?" I ask.

"You keep looking over your shoulder, you are panting like you have been running, and you have a cut on the side of your leg that looks like a knife wound." He says plainly, expecting me to explain myself.

"Why isn't someone observant?" I say. I take a deep breath " in the woods Dustin found me. I think you can piece together the rest."

"This is all my fault, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you run off." He says pulling me into an embrace.

"It's okay Cato." I sigh. All I want to do is stand here holding on to the one thing in life I know is certain. I begin to speak to him.

"Im not sure of a lot of things, Cato. But one thing I am sure of is that we belong together."

"I love you Clove." He says.

"I love you too, Cato." I say. We spend what feels like hours, locked in each others embrace. Enjoying our last moments of peace, before the uncertainty of the reaping replaces our comfort with piercing fear. Until then, we are in love.

Cato's POV

The next morning I get out of bed and get ready for the reaping. Collared shirt, yellow tie, leather shoes. My typical reaping day outfit. I glance at my watch and head out the door alerting my mom that I am going to get Clove so that we can go to the reaping.

I make the walk to her house and arrive just as she starts walking out the door.

"Hello beautiful." I say as I give her a quick kiss.

"I'm fine." She says a little too quickly. She seems nervous so I take her hand in my own and we walk toward the justice building. We check in and then go our separate ways. Our district escort comes onto stage looking charismatic as ever.

"Welcome citizens of District 2! Happy Hunger Games... And may the odds be ever in your favor." And in fact the odds are in our favor. More often than not district 2 brings home the victory. She walks up to the girls bowl saying,

"Ladies first." She sticks her hand in and digs around before pulling out a sheet of paper which she carries over to the microphone.

"Clove Sevina." What? No, where is Angle? Will she volunteer? Of course she won't, she just wants to see us suffer. Clove begins her walk up the stage. She presents an aura of ferocity. Good, sponsors will like that. Cato what are you going to do? Clove can win it right? Wait, who am I kidding I can't let Clove go by herself. My thoughts are running at fifty miles a minute. The Capitol woman smiles as she says,

"Now for the boys." She picks a piece of paper right off the top.

"Dustin Smith." Before I can process what I am doing I am shouting like a lunatic,

"I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute!" I walk up to the stage without looking at Clove, arrogance plastered on my face.

"This years tributes, Cato and Clove!" The escort shouts. Now is when I look at her we must shake hands. As she grips my hand I look into her eyes.

They pain me just looking at them.

They seem to say what words cannot.

Why did you do this?

It's betrayal.

I will not forgive this.

She gives me these looks.

Because I have condemned us to death...

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Authors Note

I have been reading and I needed to regain motivation for this story. I am sooo sorry it took so long for me to update. If you have any comment or suggestions I would really appreciate them. I was thinking about skipping straight to the feast scene and ending the story but if you guys want me to I will write about the entire process. I need you guys to let me know please. Thanks so much for reading and putting up with the lack if updating. Have a beautiful day my friends!!!

Always Remember, Clato is Forever!!!