Alternative Ending/ I want my innocence back

Chapter 3: Cunning

Chapter 3: Cunning

Clove:

Cato and I tried our best to navigate throuhg the forest. We were hungry, thirsty and tired, but if we wandered off course now, we'd never be able to find the willow grove. After all, if we did get there, we would easily be able to find a meal.

It was quite dark out when we finally located the grove. I really felt more anxious now than before when there were more tributes. I was scared that the Capitol would send out some mutts or fire or a flood to hurry things up. I only hoped the suspence of our plan was good enough to keep anything like that from happenening.

Cato and I set up an ambush. We started about a yard out. THen, we spiraled in, if Kassidy was in the trees, we'd see her. If she tried to escape, we'd see her, if she moved inwards, we'd eventually have her cornered.

It wasn't long before Cato and I met up again. No sign of Kassidy. We both sighed frustradedly. "Well, let's get something to eat." Cato took his spear to the river and hunted fish. I gathered some nuts. We then built a fire, hoping Ginger would be attracked to it. Hopefully she was freezing and needed fire.... It wasn't the coldest night, but who knows how cold tolerant she is.

I roasted the food and Cato went to fill the sponsor parachute bottoms with water from the river. Then, we ate a pretty big meal. We left some fish and nuts for tomorrow. I didn't think the fish would still be good by then, but whatever. I took a mental note on how much food we had left. Cato was pretty honest with me, but I knew sometimes his appetite ttook over. 9 nuts, one and a half fish.

We then searched the spot for a suitable place to sleep. We eventually found a smooth path of grass that lay in between several trees. The trees offered some fencing. The grass gave us a comfortable bed. We headed back to put out the fire, like a said, there wasn't a need for one, and with all the willow trees around... let's just avoid the whole forest burning down.

I gathered the food and put it in the pack. I then notice our nuts aren't as plentiful as before.... I put them in my pack and followed Cato. Then, when we reached our spot, I took the food out again. Yes exactly one nut was gone. I looked at the fish, on the half piece, some meat was missing from the inside. We normally wouldn't reconize it. That's it! Ginger! How would she get food? Who knows. She obviously took our food. No animal could have the brains to take that small amount of food. The question running through my mind was; how did we miss her? It was too late to think about that now.

Ginger wouldn't have a weapon. We were safe. I curled up next to Cato and closed my eyes.

THat night I had a horrible dream:

I woke up alone. Cato's gone. I don't know where he is. I scramble to my feet and search. It's still dark out. The trees seem to be popping out of nowhere. They probably are, too. Then, I see him! Cato is laying on the ground, face down. Then, a tree pops out of nowhere, catching his collar on a branch and pulling him twenty feet about the ground. Then, a noose appeared. Wrapping it's self around Cato's neck and a branch, he falls ten feet. THen, I see his face. His eyes are missing and he's bleeding from his ears, mouth, noes and eyesockets. I want to scream but my eyes are fixated onto the name burning into his right cheek, Snow.

I woke with a start. Cato was sleeping peacefully next to me. HIs face was fine... perfect really. I lay back down but don't fall asleep. My eyes turn from the sky to the woods, expecting something to happen.

I gave a quiet sigh of relief when Cato woke up. I then, leaned over and whispered to him what I had discovered.

"Ginger is here, she doesn't have her own food and has been stealing from us. I have a plan to catch her. Earlier, I noticed two types of berries looked alike. One was blueberries, one was nightlock, the posionous berries. My plan is you go collect the berries, alot of both, then, place then in a pile, and go look for more, eat a few blueberries so she'll be fooled into eating the nightlock, make sure to take all the blueberries and leave only nightlock."

He nodded in agreement.

I know that if you didn't look for the difference, you could easily mistake the poison for the edible. I told Cato that blueberries were bluer than nightlock. You can see the difference when you compare the two berries.

"Cato, go find some berries for breakfast, I'll go dig up roots from the riverside," I recited.

Cato nodded. "Sure."

My biggest fear right now was that Cato himself would mistake night lock for blueberries. That he'd end up dead because of my plan.

I just put my head down and started digging up roots. After a got a pile full, I headed back to the spot we agreed on. Cato stood there, a pile of night lock at his feet. He was holding a handful of blueberries.

I gave a mental sigh of relief.

"Cato! those are for breakfast!" I scolded.

"Exactly." He bent down to the pile. I saw a few blueberries on the top. He scooped them up. He noticed a few night lock in them and threw them behind his shoulder. "Bad berries."

He handed me the berries. "See, breakfast."

I grinned and ate the blueberries. I hoped Kassidy saw this. "Okay, let's go get more." I lead Cato away.

We waited about ten minutes and then... BAM!

Ginger was dead.