The Winner Takes it All

The Fallen

I stare at Thresh's body, as I pick up the 3 other knives I threw at him and leave the last one in his head. Hopefully Sereia will see that I made up for weakening Zale. I turn to leave, only to crash right into Cato's chest. I rise a knife and stupidly try to stab him before he quickly grabs my arm. His eyes shift from me to Thresh's corpse and a look of astonishment flashes across his face.

"You actually did it!!" Cato says with a smug smirk.

"I was avenging Zale, and you were going to avenge Clove...I just beat you to it." I say dryly.

I wince in pain when I accidentally hit my leg. GODDAMMIT!!!

"A-Are you okay?" Cato asks, dropping his gaze down to my leg. "I'm fine." I snarl. One of us is getting out of this hellhole, and as much as it kills me, I have to erase Cato from my heart.

"I'm so glad to see that you're okay." Cato says as he pulls me into s hug as I struggle to get away from him.

I'm glad you're okay too. I start walking past him. "You look good too."

Cato looks as if his heart was shattered beyond repair, "W-Why are you so cold and distant? I just lost Clove and now you're giving me the cold shoulder."

I groan and turn around to look up at his eyes. "Don't you get it?! We're down to the final 5 so, as fun as being with you was, I can't keep pretending that we're okay and this," I gesture to the forest around us. "Is normal. We're from different districts for crying out loud, so just forget about me because one of us won't be alive much longer!!!"

Cato gives me a hurt expression and nods sadly. "In that case..."

He grabs me by the waist and turns me around, a look of anger and frustration flashes across his eyes. Before I can react or try to fight him, his mouth is over mine, catching me by surprise. I close my eyes and hold back a moan as I melt into his embrace. Suddenly he pulls away, and runs.

That night, all I can think about is the kiss. Cato...if only we weren't in this arena, then maybe we could've been something. When I wake up, I leave both of my bags for Finch, knowing that our own alliance had to end soon. I quietly head out and look for a pond to begin fishing, when I see a familiar plant.

"Queen Anne's Lace?" I say out loud as I examine the plant and see purple blotches. "It's Hemlock?!"

I quickly stuff it in my pocket and continue fishing. Now I just have to somehow get it down the throats of 12's tribute, then we'll go from 5 to 3. I see the girl from 12 in the distance as she's hunting and I reach for a knife but then decide against it once I remember how quick she is with that bow. I slowly stand up and began to get more food when a cannon immediately gets my attention. I run back towards the cave, leaving the fish behind , hoping that she's okay. I notice Finch lying on the floor with her hand open. Finch is gone...it must've been these berries. I take 2 of them and put them with the hemlock, saving them for the only remaining team. I lean down and close her eyes shut for her, silently thanking her for saving my life and cursing myself out for failing to do the same for her.

As the sun is setting I see both of 12's tributes by the lake and then watch as Cato runs right past me. Hello to you too. I then heard several menacing growls and see a large blonde dog not far from me. OH HELL NO, I'M NOT GOING TO BE DOG CHOW. I make a mad dash after Cato, hoping that the dog didn't see me and realizing how screwed I am when I see 19 other dogs of various sizes and coats join it and begin charging at me. I maneuver around Peeta and his partner, secretly hoping that the 20 dogs get their meal with those two. All four of us enter the clearing and begin to climb up a the Cornucopia.

I watch Cato once again, fall on his ass and I call out for him, reaching out for him. He reluctantly takes my hand and joins me just as the dogs enter the clearing.

"It's them. The others. Rue and Foxface and... all of them." the girl says, panting.

"Zale..." I say, seeing a dog with a seashell collar marked with the number 4.

"Clove..." Cato mourns, I follow his gaze to one of the smaller dogs and see a brown one with freckles and the number 2 on her collar, then my gaze falls on another with orange fur and the number 5 on her collar and one with blonde fur, green eyes, and the number 1 on her collar. I always knew she was a...nevermind.

Peeta yells out as a muttation slashes his leg. The girl draws back her bow and shoots the muttation. Then focuses her attention on me. Cato responds by grabbing Peeta in a headlock, holding him hostage.

"Looks like we're at a stalemate." Cato gloats.

I look at Cato and shake my head. "Cato, it's okay. This is the only way that you can win without killing me yourself."

His face contorts into one of rage as he glares at the girl. "I go down, he goes down."

I watch Peeta draw a red X on Cato's hand, and see the girl aim her bow at the X. I instinctively pull out my knife at stab it into her neck once she had stopped paying attention to me, then Cato takes advantage of it and snapping Peeta's neck and tossing his body over the edge to the mutts. Both of their cannons fire, one right after the other.