*A Fighting Chance* ( Clato Fanfictoin )

Chapter 1 Remebering

I wake screaming from last nights terrible nightmares. I don't know how others can sleep the night before The Reaping. But on the other side of the room my brother Caleb is sound asleep. It is his first year, he is afraid but is pretty good at hiding it. I walk across the creaky floorboards to my chest of draws trying not to wake him.

" Clove? " he asks in a croaky voice. I look over. " Oh Caleb, "

And I walk over to the bed-side. " what is it? "

" I saw Mum last night. " I look at him in disbelief. " Caleb mum died 4 years ago, we need to let her go. "

" But, she walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. " my eyes start to tear up, but I have to be strong. For Caleb. " Did she look pretty? " I ask.

" Beautiful " he says in answer. He beams a friendly smile and I stroke his head until his eyes start to close. I keep stroking his short brown hair. And when they finally close I kiss his forehead and slowly rise to my feet. My old chest of draws have been eaten away by termites in the corners but that is all we can afford nowadays. We have no Mother. And our dad killed himself when Caleb was just a baby. He told mum that he was under too much pressure with two kids. He also said having me was like having two kids anyway. I was A total wild child running in the tall grass and always wondering what was beyond that wire fence. Dad told me that there were wild animals that could kill a man with a single bite. That's all I can remember...

I pull out a dress. Ugh dresses I hate them! I lay it on my bed, and get out a pair of jeans and my old Hoodie that I wear every winter. I put my clothes on and slip out of the room. I jog down the hall and the stairs. I grab my Knives from under a floorboard, my secret floorboard. I run to the door and put on my boots. I creep onto the frosty grass and and easily jump the wire fence. It is freezing this morning so I put my hood over my head. And keep walking deeper into the woods. I notice a white suited man to the far right so I dive behind a thick tree. He looks my way. He doesn't see me. He turns his head swiftly to the left and walks over to the market. I run down the hill trying not to slip on the icy ground. Finally I reach the bottom, I see the sun just starting to rise, I came at a good time. Too early for peacekeepers to see in the shadows of the tree-line. I see the stream I walk over I dip my hand in and it is icy cold. I cup my hands and put them into the water. When I bring it back up I drink it and shake my hands. I follow the path down to the Area where all the animals hide. As I walk down I am startled to see Cato leaning against a tree looking down and fiddling with a a large Sword. I don't think he sees me so I crawl behind a bush of berries. He looks up as if sensing me, and then looks down again. I smile to myself I might as well scare him. He is just over a meter away, so I can jump out or hide behind the tree and scare him. What to do? I think I'll just jump out. 1.. 2.. 3... " Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" I scream he looks up and his eyes widen into huge circles.

" AHHHHHHHH HELP SOMEBODY HELLP!!!! " he shouts. He is completely freaking out. I am in fits of laughter falling Down and slamming my hand on the ground. His face is priceless you'll never get it from anyone else.

" CLOVE!!! " I can't even reply it's so funny! " CLOVE IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!! " I still can't speak and then he finally sees the funny side and laughs too.

Just like the old days... When we didn't have any fear of being picked....