Written by Kangawhale for Charlie. I love you, mate.
~*~ Cato ~*~
The screams around me caused me to race after my trusted ally; she was probably just kidding around... maybe she found lover boy or girl on fire. That'd be a treat, wouln't it?
"Clover!" I shouted happily; she had to be alright. The adrenaline pumped through my veins as I crashed through the forest, waiting to see her smiling face after another kill. I began to see light coming from the end of the forest and I knew that the cornucopia was close.
"CATO!"
I froze as the scene before me came to life.
Clove fell to the ground, her eyes blank and face smeared with blood. The boy from 11 was pointing at fire girl and shouting. She grabbed her bag and ran before I became weak in the knees, shock and fear coursing through me for the first time in my life. It seemed too surreal...
"Clove!" I managed to choke out, running to her. She wasn't moving... I put my hands over her heart and started pumping furiously, praying that she would come back. When that failed, I fumbled to get her hand and held it in both of mine, stroking the blood off of her soft skin. "Clover..." I murmured, grabbing some moss and wiping the scarlet liquid from her face. I could see the fire and passion fade from her eyes when a single tear escaped mine.
All of our memories flashed by as I stared into her bleary eyes; how I teased and mocked her back in two, the training center when we picked out our allies, the jealousy I knew she had when Glimmer became attatched to me... I regretted everything. Every false word, every wasted kiss I had with Glimmer, every single ounce of pain that I caused Clove. She was gone.
The words I should've said... I hadn't realized until now, that she was just as human as lover boy, or girl on fire, or anyone. And now, as I helplessly prayed for her voice again, I understood that she was more than a friend to me.
I took Clove's head and cradled it to my chest as the deafening cannon boomed through the arena, signalling that she wasn't ever coming back. I wouldn't be able to tell her how I feel.
The words I never said were going to haunt me eternally.
