Dead Survivor

Not Again

Cato's POV
When I blinked my eyes open, my cheek was becoming acquainted with the dusty floor. I sit up, quickly, and look for Clove immediately. "Clove? Where are you?" I asked, rubbing a new bruise on my shoulder. The house was dark and empty.
All she did was go outside to see Mom, she must be sleeping. I thought. Clove sleeping in the middle of daytime? No, she must be at the market. No...Snow could pop up anywhere and whisk her away at any-My thoughts were stopped by that. I pulled on my shirt, and headed out the door, bruises and all.
"Have you seen Clove?" I asked, to random people on the street. They all shook their heads saying no, but I saw in their eyes they knew where she was. I saw Cathy running towards me as I smiled.
"Cato! Oh Cato! Clove, she's gone!" My focus leveled in her eyes.
"Where is she?" I asked, gruffly. Cathy changed the subject innocently, as she marveled at my muscle shirt.
"You are strong Cato, I bet you twisted thousands of necks in the arena, didn't you?" She said, like she was showing me off to the air.
"Well, only a few," I said, making her giggle. "Now, where is Clove?" She looked into my eyes with a great wave of sadness.
"Mister president Snow has her Cato." She said. "Wherever you go, I want to go too Cato! I want to be with my big brother, the hero!"
"With-Snow?" I gulped, "He took her?"
"No," Her voice was calm and pitched, "She said she would go if she was going to keep you alive, whatever that means."
Wonderful. Just wonderful. Reaped. Tributed. Victored. Loved. Hijacked. Hero? I thought inside my head. My hands began to shake. Clove was saving me again, and the cost for such a penalty was her own precious life.
"Can I go with you? All of my friends would be so-" I looked at her with a powerful expression.
"No. It is too dangerous." I huffed.
"But that's what dad told you when you were going to volunteer for the Games, and look how you turned out." She said, then she noticed all of my other injuries. "Touche."
"Go home Cathy. I can't risk losing you. Go home." I saw the drained happiness fall from her face into tears.
"But, someone has to protect you." She exclaimed. I smiled.
"You can protect me from home how does that sound? If you protect Mom, you are protecting me."
She rolled her eyes,and trudged off, picking up stones along the way. She whirled around and yelled, "Say goodbye to me before you go!"
"Will do lil sis." I said, chuckling. I never saw how much she idolized me. I was her big brother who survived 24  bloodthirsty children, and won.
There was not much time to waste, so I followed Cathy home, slowly, contemplating everything my mother would say. When I got into the house, my mother glared at me. Cathy was sitting on the couch, as she had gotten there at least five minutes before me.
"Cato Hadley, don't you dare think about going out in your condition, son!" She said. "You are like, my little soldier boy who is beaten and torn up by the enemy. You know who the enemy is don't you? Please tell me you aren't that blind!"
"Snow is the only enemy, and he has my girl."
"WRONG!" she shouted, "Clove was the one to beat you up first, correct? She is worthless. Let her die, and heal with us." She said. Her remarks stung the side of my heart for Clove.
"Mom, I am going out there, chances are I am going to be beaten up again, so what's the point. I am going to save Clove." I said, grimly.
"She a terrible-good-for-nothing-flea-bag." Her words sounded with a loud humph.
My jaw opened, as I squinted my eyes, "You did not just say that." Her eyes widened. Cathy had disappeared, probably into her room, and I called her down.
When she came down, her eyes filled with tears. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." She hugged me tightly, and I had to force her off of me. "Goodbye." My sister held three fingers up to me, and I did the same back. Turning my back on my mother, I raced out of the house, not daring to look back.
_______3 hours later....on the train...heading to the Capitol_______

"Sir, would you like something to drink?" the waitress asked.  "Not that strong stuff, but I would like...coffee. Yes, I would love for a cup of coffee."
"Alright." SHe said, as her and her little dress scurried out of the room. Just then, I heard a knock at the door, the door of the car next to me.
"Come." I commanded. A little silhouette popped out of the shadows.
"Cato?" the voice stated. "I think your gonna need some help." Cathy.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!" I practically screamed. She flinched, but I motioned her to come sit next to me.
"I had to." She said. "I wanted to." I couldn't argue, I was just too tired of it. My head was already hurting,and I knew a seizure was bound to come soon.
"Whatever." I sighed. "Just stay out of trouble."  She ignored me, and fiddled with the little stones in her hand.
One looked like a diamond, and she looked up at me and asked, "Are you going to marry Clove?" My eyes pierced down at her harshly, but then they relaxed.
"I hope to, someday. Someday I will be by her side, both of us safe and sound." I said. "But, in this circumstance, only time will tell, and we are certainly running out of it."
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