They walked though the door. Clove could hear birds singing and felt grass underfoot. She looked at Cato; he mirrored her confusion. Suddenly a bird landed on a branch of a nearby oak tree, but it wasn't just any bird it was a jabber jay. Cato furrowed his brow.
"I thought that jabber jays where extinct" he said
Then the jabber jay began to sing. The music was so beautiful Clove fought back tears. She neared the bird. She began to sing with the bird; suddenly she doubled over and started to spasmodically cough.
"CLOVE" Cato yelled, running to her. He crouched down beside her, concern and worry flooding his eyes. Clove stopped coughing and looked at her hand; it was covered in a crimson liquid. Blood. Her blood; Clove whimpered and wiped her hand off with a cloth Cato had handed her.
"Ok so we don't want to sing with the jabbers" Cato said.
"You don't say" Clove said, sarcasm dripping from her mouth like honey.
Cato helped Clove off the ground and began to walk. Wondering what he was doing, she quietly followed him. There was such a large expense of fields, that Clove felt like she was going to die in the middle of the fields if Cato didn't find what he was looking for.
"Looking for other people and water is tedious isn't it?" Cato said
"Yep" Clove said, her voice thick "Wait how did you know that I was following you?"
"Because Clo, we've known each other for over ten years" "I know that you always wonder what people are doing when they do not tell you" "I also know that if you keep it up in the arena, you most likely are going to die"
Angry, Clove said "I'M NOT GOING TO DIE IF I FOLLOW PEOPLE"
"Yes you are" Cato said, his voice scary calm
"NO I'M NOT" Clove said
"Oh really? What if you follow someone and they lead into a ditch to rot, or worse a trap" Cato said, his voice still scary calm. He was always like this in a argument. Scary calm and right.
"Fine. I'll try to break my habit, but, you have to try to work on that temper of yours" Clove said
"Deal" Cato said
Clove heard a rumbling in the distance and looked down. They were standing on rocky terrene.
"Rock slide" Clove whispered
"What?" Cato asked
"Cato, there's going to be a rock slide!"
They began to run away, Cato saw rocks tumble of the side of the mountain. Headed straight for Clove. He knocked her out of the way, his body shielding her against anyone and anything.
"Why did you do that?!" Clove said, pushing his weight off her
"What save your life?"
"I don't need saving!"
Oh really? Then why didn't you jump out of the way of the rock slide? Oh wait that's right, YOU DIDN'T SEE IT" Cato yelled
Clove screamed and kicked the side of the mountain.
"You know, sometimes I hate you" "Then I remember that you are the only one I've got and that I love you, and I calm down" Clove said
"You love me..?" Cato said, taken aback
"Yeah. You couldn't tell?"
Suddenly Cato was kissing her and it felt like her surroundings were dissolving and Cato was the only solid thing in the universe. She held onto him determined not to let him go. She reached up and hooked her hands around his neck, kissing him deeper. As Clove began to go onto her tip-toes she felt a shock of electricity course through her body. The pain felt like white hot fire was coursing through her veins. She felt Cato pull away from her. Clove felt like the anchor that held her and protected her from the ocean was finally letting her drown. The deep buzzing voice spoke in her head.
"You're supposed to be preparing to kill each other" It said
Clove felt confused; how could they see her if she was in a simulation? Right after the thought crossed her mind, she felt like an idiot. The Capital had eyes everywhere; plus her district was their puppy- dog. Of course they knew what she was doing! She sighed inwardly, feeling defeated.
Clove looked over at Cato. His usually expressive face was stoic. His eyes where full of pain, most likely from the shocks and when he saw her looking at him his eyes filled with happiness. Clove began walking back to the fields, when suddenly a mutt jumped out of the nearby brush. The mutt looked human. Or at least a little human. It had the body of a middle-aged man, but his skin was reptilian; along with it's eyes. It also had huge bat-like wings and shark teeth. With patches of violet and bright orange fur, or hair, Clove couldn't tell, covering it's feet, head and hands. The mutt lunged at Clove, strapping it's arm over her chest and it's free hand over her mouth.
"Hold still little girl, this'll only hurt a little bit" It growled in her ear.
Clove kicked, screamed, and punched her attacker; trying to get free. She felt her elbow connect with the creature's stomach. He, Clove decided, howled in pain; letting her go. She looked back and saw the mutt softly whimpering like a scolded puppy. He was crouched on the ground trying to nurse his wound.
