fallen ~ 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤

Farewell

I don't tell Cato about the pair of eyes I saw in the training academy, it was probably just someone else training. Cato and I trained all day, trying to get my sister off of our minds, but she wasn't leaving them.

We walked back to my house after a long day of training and sat on the couch, waiting for my mother to come home. She left early this morning looking for Penny. Cato and I didn't talk much, we were both paranoid and worried sick. Finally, he speaks up.

"I loved her, you know." I turn and face him. He is looking at his shoes with his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah." I say.

"But I think maybe it's time to end it."

"What? No! You can't!" I yell.

"She was dishonest with me, and if she keeps sneaking out to see this other guy I must not be good enough for her." He says. He looks as if he's been beaten and he's at his breaking point, just seconds before he will collapse.

"Cato, she's lucky to have you, you're a really, really good guy. Sometimes you scare the heck out of people but you're really nice!" I refer to moment earlier in the training academy. He laughs for a second but then sinks back into his depression.

"Yeah, even if I do end it girls will be lining up." He smiles again.

"Oh, yeah." I sigh.

"But I'll only end it if you're one of those girls in line." He says with a wink. I can feel myself blushing. I can't tell if I'm dreaming or if I've died and gone heaven. I turn away and try to pull myself together before I look at him again, those big blue eyes are still on me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing." He laughs.

"Okay, whatever. This is depressing." I admit.

"Yeah, what about we take a walk?" He suggests. I nod.

As we walk beside a sparkling, dark blue river, I await the rain the clouds are promising.

"So, Clover, what is your favorite season?" He asks.

"It's Clove and you know it, I like the time between fall and winter." I say.

"What? Those are like the most depressing days of the year! Don't you like warm summer days?" He asks.

"Not really, I guess I'm just a depressing person."

"Don't say that, you totally light up the entire world when you smile, or at least you light up mine." He insists. A million thoughts flutter through my head. For a second I can only just stare at his perfect smile. Then, a man in a black, hooded coat walks past us. He cuts a quick glance at me, his eyes are cold and gray. Then suddenly a memory flashes through my mind. Those were the same eyes that were watching me in the training academy. He hits my shoulder with his as he passes, then breaks into a run.

"Who was that?" Cato asks.

"I uh, I don't know." I respond. Then I look back down at the river.

My heart stops.

It's a body.

Bloody.

My sister.

My mouth opens, gasping for air, inside I'm screaming.

"Clove, Clove, are you okay?" Cato asks. I hold my breath and point to the water. His head turns to the water and he loses it.

"Penny!" He screams. "Penny!"

He runs down to the river and jumps into the water and trudges through it, picking up her body. He must have loved her more than I thought because he begins begging her to come back. I can't even move right now, I don't even know how I'm breathing.  Cato pulls her put of the water and brings her body back up to the street.

It seems like everything stops. The whole world goes quiet, I turn to Cato. I cannot even describe in words his expression. My sister is dead.

Flash backs of my only sister and I flood through my mind and leave scars of now broken memories.

"Have you ever been so upset that you can't even cry?" I choke out.

"That's exactly how I'm feeling." He responds.

"Me too." I say. Suddenly red and blue lights begin flashing from the far end of the street.

"Clove, you have to go now!" He yells at me.

"What, why!" I demand.

"Clove, please!"

I hesitate but I do as he instructs. I don't know where I got the strength, but I run to the nearest house and hide in the ally way. A large truck stops in front of him and it's full of Peacekeepers.