The hunger games: if Cato saved Clove

Chapter nine

Chapter nine: the countdown.

I get back to my room and force myself to sleep for a few hours because I know I won't be able to with the games tomorrow. I wake up and check the time on a fancy clock next to my bed 04:37 it's way too early to wake up but I don't care. I walk into Cato's room and see he is awake too.

"Can't sleep?" I ask.

"No, you?" He replies.

"I managed six hours."

"Really? I only got three!"

"When we get into the games, act as brutal as you can, kill as many people in the bloodbath as possible because then people will want to sponsor you."

"Okay, just don't die."

"You too."

"I can take care of myself."

"Well so can I, just because I'm fifteen doesn't mean I'm completely irresponsible!"

"I know Clove, I just don't want to lose you!"

"Well I don't want to lose you either." Then I remember when I first met Cato, I was four at the time and he was six, my mum was the only person who you could guarantee a good haircut for a decent price. Cato came in one day so my mum could cut his his hair, I was passing her all of the things she needed, he smiled at me so I smiled back. The next day at school, he came over to me and said hi. After that we became really good friends which was lucky for me I was the lonely one who had nobody to talk to.

"I'm going to try to get some more sleep." I say and then walk out the room.

I do manage another two hours sleep but it's practically invaded by nightmares. Enobaria finally knocks on the door and tells me to get up. I find my clothes for the arena hanging up on my wardrobe with a note from my stylist saying "Wear this see you later." I get changed into the clothes and shoes and find my stylist outside. He does some kind of high ponytail with too many hair bands and sends me off.

We sit in a hovercraft for ages and a lady jabs a tracker into my arm and then I get taken into a room with my stylist. I look behind me and see a glass tube, a calm female voice says "Sixty seconds to launch." Oh no! I'm not ready for this, I could die in the bloodbath! Then my stylist says "Go on Clove, you can do it, you need to step on the tube now." I nod and step in, the tube closes around me and I hear the voice say: "Ten seconds to launch." Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. I'm up in the arena I see a backpacks scattered around the cornucopia and in the mouth I see a knife jacket! I look down at my start podium and see that my feet are already facing the jacket I'm ready to run in, it's only forty meters away so I can sprint. I look above the cornucopia and see a large eleven, ten, oh no, I can't do this, nine, what if I die! Eight, what if Cato dies? Seven, I see Katniss on the start podium next to me eying up a backpack, six, I'm going to die! Five, I can't do this! Four, I see Cato mouth the words "You can do it Clove." Three, I lean forwards, ready to sprint, two, I can do this, I have to, one...