The hunger games: if Cato saved Clove

Chapter twenty one

Chapter twenty one: the feast

     "Clove, we need to start heading over to the cornucopia." Great, it's time to kill Katniss. Surprisingly I'm not really looking forward to it, I thought I was gonna be, but I kinda feel bad... I don't really want to kill innocent people anymore but I've signed up for it now, there's no going back.

      "'Kay, one sec." I crawl out of the sleeping bag and drink again. As I stand up I'm surprised to hear Cato protest.

     "You think I'm gonna let you go and kill Katniss without the most important meal of the day?"

      "You sound like my mum 'Clover, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you can't skip it!' I hated it when she called me 'Clover' and told me I had to eat when I was half an hour late for school."

     "Anyway, speaking of being late, we're gonna be late if we don't start to head over." We start to run until we're in the trees surrounding the cornucopia. I'm assuming we're a couple of minutes early so I say what could be my last words to him.

      "Good luck." It's all I can think of but it's affective.

     "I think you'll need it more." He hugs me so I hug back.

      "You better go now." I hate saying it but I know I have to. He releases me and I wait for Katniss but as soon as the table clicks into place a ginger figure darts out of the cornucopia and I know this is Cato's opportunity, she sprints off and I hear footsteps follow her into the distance.

After a slight pause, Katniss runs in and I sprint after her. I realise that I can't just kill her without her knowing, that wouldn't make a good enough show so I throw a knife to her right side hoping that she'll notice me, she turns to see me and deflects the knife with her bow even though it wasn't going to hit. I keep running and she shots at my heart, I turn and it catches my left arm. Agony surges through me and I pull the arrow out, it's quite deep but if I stay here she's going to shoot me again so I keep running towards her. I throw another knife at her face, it slices above her right eyebrow and she falls to the floor, I pounce on top of her.

      "Where's your boyfriend district twelve? Still hanging on?" I ask teasingly.

       "He's out their now. Hunting Cato."  Cato? No! He can't die! Is he okay? Is she making it up? "PEETA!" Katniss screams. I jam my fist down her throat to block her voice. My head turns vigorously from side to side as I look. No Peeta turns up so I know she's lying.

      "Liar, he's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in a tree whilst you keep his heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for Lover Boy? To bad he'll never get it."

I select a small knife with a curved blade.

      "I promised Cato of he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show."

She tries to unseat me but I'm too heavy.

      "Forget it, we're going to kill you, just like we did to your pathetic little ally... what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Rue? Well first Rue, then you and I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Boy, how does that sound?" It feels great to have power over someone for once. "Now, where to start?" I carelessly wipe away the blood on her face with my jacket sleeve and then tilt her head from side to side, she tries to bite my hand so I pull her hair, forcing her head to get down. "I think... we'll start with your mouth." I trace the outline of her lips with the knife. "Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for them anymore. Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?" As an answer, she spits in my face. I'm assuming I'm bright red with embarrassment so I try to recover. "All right then. Let's get started." I cut the knife a fraction into her but I feel two, big hands yank me up off her.

Thresh.

Shoot, I'm going to die.

He flips me over and I hit the ground.

        "What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?"

      "No! No, it wasn't me!" I start scrambling across the floor.

        "You said her name. I heard you. You kill her? You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

      "No! No I-" he holds a stone the size of a small loaf of bread above my head in his hand and I loose it.

      "Cato!" I screech. "Cato!"

     "Clove!" He sounds too far away, he'll never make it...

I remember the time when I first met Cato, the time when my dad came back from a four year journey, my ninth birthday, the day when my friend Esther died, everything comes flooding back to me, everything I'd almost forgotten about...

He's just about to bring the rock down when his body splits in two, Cato's sword slashes through his body and blood and guts spill over the floor. A cannon blasts and I know I'm safe.

      "Cato!" I jump up and wrap my arms around him. "I thought you weren't going to make it!"

We're both hugging each other so tightly that I don't see it coming, Katniss' arrow goes straight into my left rib cage and I fall to the floor. I hear her footsteps get further away and I know she's escaped.

     "Clove! No! Stay with me!"

I open my eyes and say "I'm not going anywhere." With a faint smile.

He laughs and the tears fade from his eyes. "I thought you were dead!"

      "Did you kill Finch?"

     "No, I had her but then I heard you scream." That's my fault, I should've just died.

      "Sorry."

     "It's not your fault, I should've come with you."

      "We should probably go, before someone comes."

     "Yeah." We start walking away but continue talking.

      "Where d'you think Katniss and Lover Boy are hiding?"

     "I don't know, we could try and find them, Katniss ran off that way." He points left into the trees.

      "Okay then, let's go."

We start running but about half a mile in, I run into a ginger haired girl. Finch.

      "Oh, hello." My voice is savage and unrecognisable.

Cato doesn't even let her speak before stabbing her. Another cannon.

     "C'mon Clove, let's go and find Katniss."

Sorry I didn't update! This took me so long to write!!!