promises • cato the hunger games

Twenty-Five

"No, Penny, please no," I hear Cato whisper. "Please, please no."

I can feel a sharp pain in my back, and the rest of my chest. I decide it best not to try and pull the arrow out. No point drowning in my own blood as well. 

"Penny, just hang on," whispers Cato, pulling my head on his lap. "You'll be fine, just take deep breaths, maybe we can just wait for a sponsor, and I could take you to a cave and..." He trails off, realizing how stupid he sounds. It's over, I'm finished.

"A-are they still there?" I ask, referring to Katniss and Peeta.

He shakes his head. "No, they wouldn't dare come near me," he says, his voice cracking.

"Oh, Cato, please don't cry," I beg, though I desperately want to burst into tears too. I can't let myself though, incase Rose ever watches this. Cato doesn't seem to be listening to me. There are just tears pouring silently down his cheeks. It's funny, I'd never ever thought Cato would cry, he's told me he's above that.

"Cato, please listen," I say, my voice now a shaky whisper as my chest starts to rise and fall infrequently. I can't really breathe properly anymore, but I force myself to keep talking.

"Cato, you need to stay strong. Forget about me, I've had it now. You have to make sure you win. You have to. Remember your promise. You'll go back for my sister," I tell him, desperately.

Cato barely nods. "I'm so sorry, Penny. I-I was m-meant to keep you alive. It should be me with the arrow, not you. I'm so sorry," he whispers.

"No, it's not your fault," I tell him. "It all just happened so quick. It was no-ones fault. Promise me you won't blame yourself."

He usually does what I say, but now he's shaking his head. "No. It was my fault. I've failed you. You don't deserve someone as useless as me."

I start to cry. "Yes I do. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a really long time. You'll never really know how happy you've made me, or how much I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. I love you so, so much."

"I love you too," he says softly.

The oxygen just gets sucked out of me, and I can't take any more in. This must be what drowning feels like. I know it's nearly over.

There's so much I want to say to Cato, thank him for everything, make sure he knows how much I love him, and make sure he gets back for Rose. All I can say is another, "I love you," before my vision goes blurry, and then I'm hit by a blinding light. I let myself pass out.