AN: The second part of this chapter will be Cato's response, since I have an itching feeling that one of is going to get reported again on our Facebook accounts, which is where we roleplay. I don't take credit for his amazing writing, and as far as I know he doesn't have a Wattpad account.
Clove work up early as the sun came through the window and nearly blinded her. She groaned, turning on her side and taking her pillow and shoving it over her face. Across the room, she heard someone snuffle and sat up with a start, looking at the young girl who was sleeping on the bed across the room from her. She had nearly forgotten she was staying at the Mars’ house.
Ever since her escape from prison, Cato and Aeliana had been taking care of her, making her food (well, Aeliana made the food and Cato just nodded in approval when it looked edible), sneaking her the newspaper and things for her to read. But it had been nearly a week, and their parents still had no idea that Cato and Aeliana were harbouring an escapee upstairs. They never paid attention to their own children, and Clove felt sorry for the two of them.
She sat up in the small bed, swinging her legs over the side and adjusting the too-small shirt that she had managed to squeeze into. Today was the day she was going to make her escape. She had written Cato and Aeliana a letter of appreciation, but she couldn’t stay here and endanger them further. If the Peacekeepers found her missing from jail (not that they checked) the second place they would look would be this place. If she was discovered, both Cato and Aeliana would be Avoxed for aiding a rumoured mass murderer.
Clove slipped on her one pair of blue jeans that miraculously fit her, and tied her hair back in a ponytail. She put on Cato’s leather jacket that he had kindly given to her, (more like Clove had stolen it) and tucked in the small knife that Aeliana had salvaged from the kitchen that was large enough to be used for self defense in the pocket and tip-toed downstairs. Cato was still sleeping; she could hear him snoring even from down here. She had spent a week here, and Cato had insisted that she never leave the house, but she had still left the house and taken runs to make sure that her legs were still working. She expertly slid through the window in the hallway, shutting it from the outside and began the walk towards the gate that separated the town from the woods. She turned once she reached the shrubbery, and noticed that Cato was standing in the window, squinting while he scanned the streets. When his eyes landed on her, his facial expression changed from one of exhaustion to pure horror. She cursed under her breath and started running.
“Shit shit shit shit!”
______
The night embraced him into her nervous, cold arms but his instincts remained alert for the smallest sound that could announce the arrival of an enemy, his muscles tense with hidden force and his mind lost out of his body, scanning the area in and outside his house. Little mental battles would start performing inside his head, weaving strategies to help him win and prevent what could be a lucky dead end or a mute existence forever as an Avox. A headache began developing in the back of his head, like a slow, heavy blow, making thinking impossible so he concentrated on emptying his mind and relaxing. After a few seconds he realised he had stopped breathing, his lungs almost chocking his own throat in the process as the pain increased but he let the cold air re-enter his body again. And this went on all night, the early morning was ugly, cold and unwelcome in his eyes as a deeper part of his subconsciousness told him that it was time to arise to a point of straining his nerves. He finally sat up and barely opened his heavy eyelids when he heard soft noises outside which could be either a wild animal or the soft wind, playing with the dry leaves outside. Nothing unusual.
His legs would groan if they could, under his weight as he got up and staggered backwards for a second, his big hand slammed against the wall, trying to regain his balance as his sight disappeared in the darkness for a bit followed by stars. Low blood pressure. As the scene in front of him cleared up, he was already moving around the room slowly, the wooden floor creaking under his steps, his feet getting tangled at the laundry which was thrown all over the floor. Maybe one day, he was going to clean up the mess. He had other things to worry about. He walked to the slightly ajar window and opened it wide, letting the cold air hit him in the face and upper body like an avalanche with the hope that it would help him think clearer. His bright blue eyes explored the scene in front of him lazily, not expecting to see anything unusual, just the typical things he had seen going on for 17 years when something caught his attention - a dark figure standing on the street and its eyes were panicly following his every slow and tired movement. He almost closed the window before his vision cleared up, his mind roared and started working when it realised what it was seeing. Clove, wearing his jacket and watching him like a deer in the headlights. When he reacted, she took off running without looking back. He wanted to shout after her but he didn't want his neighbours to know that Clove was anywhere nearby. The rumours of her capture had spread through the city like a wild fire, the District wasn't that big and everyone knew each other.
"Great... just fucking great." He growled then quickly proceeded to get dressed as much as he could since he had trouble working those fingers, the exhaustion was playing with his body, making everything seem twice as hard to do. But the picture of where he was heading was clear in his mind. He was going to check if she was back home although it would be highly unlikely and possibly stupid but he didn't know her that well as to deduce where she could be.
"Are you ready?" He heard a nervous feminine voice behind him. Aeliana had entered his room and was observing him, she was still pale, even her usually red lips had lost their colour. "I saw Clove, she ran away, we have to go get her!" He snorted angrily while putting on his other jacket and heading for the door only to find it blocked by Aeliana. "It's the Reaping today, where are you going?" He opened his mouth only to release silence as he stared at her with wide eyes for a few seconds then cursed angrily and realised he had no choice but to go. He was going to volunteer... and Clove was old enough to look after herself anyway.
