Born to Die (Clato Fanfic)

Chapter 20

Hello! Thank you all for reading, commenting, and voting. I really appreciate it and I'll miss writing this story. I decided to finish it off with this final chapter from Cato's point of view.

I knew I should have gotten up and left her for the hovercraft to collect. I should have hunted down Thresh or finally finished off Lover Boy and Twelve. But I couldn't. I couldn't leave because I knew I wouldn't ever see her again.

I had to shove the thought out of my mind. I trained my whole life to be a ruthless murderer, to bring honor to my district, and I would not let them down. I would win. Win for her. Win for me. I knew it's what she would have wanted. I held her body close, savoring the last few minutes. Her eyes were shut which give her a peaceful look. Except for the horrifying dent in her skull, she looked like she could be sleeping. I tucked her chocolaty hair behind her ears, running my hands through the thick strands. I made the mistake of glancing down at her wrist, where a silver band hung.

Suddenly, all our memories together came crashing down on me. I thought of the first day I saw her. She had surprised me with her strength and determination that I immediately admired. It was the day she gave me my scar, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. I remembered stealing looks at her during training. She was so powerful, so talented, that I couldn't help myself. And then somehow, we became friends. Every training session with her made my stomach tumble. I did everything I could to impress her, but she continued to impress me. I remembered the first time I invited her over and the sleepless nights we spent together. She was my best friend, someone I didn't want to spend a minute without.

I couldn't fight back the tears anymore. They flowed down my face in an embarrassing stream of pain. I just let them keep falling. I would regain my title as a merciless killer once I slaughtered Thresh. I gently caressed her cheek. The life was fading from her quickly, her face was a ghastly pale hue. With my body trembling and tears still cascading from my eyes, I leaned down and softly planted a kiss on her forehead. Her frozen skin numbed my lips and I choked back a sob.

I gently set her down in the grass. I knew that I'd have to leave. I'd have to let the hovercraft come and take her away. I took one last look at her, knowing that I'd never find anyone to replace her. I knew no one would ever fill the hole Clove left. She was gone and I had nothing. I tore my gaze from Clove and straightened up. The only girl I ever loved was dead in front of me. And I had realized it too late. Leaving her was the most painful thing I ever experienced.

I scanned the area and noticed the completely empty table. Thresh took off with my pack and it gave me another reason to go after him. I noticed a large rock to my right and my assumptions were confirmed. Thresh killed Clove. I let the anger consume me, allowing images of Thresh's dead body to flow through my mind. I snatched up my sword and headed toward the woods. His death was going to painful. It would be agonizing. It would be excruciating. The sound of the hovercraft descending down to pluck her body from the ground sent me in a blind sprint.

The rest of the day was filled with thoughts of Thresh's murder. I had stopped by our previous campsite, forcing myself not to think about Clove as I searched through our limited supplies. I grabbed everything that was useful and continued trudging through the woods. My stomach was grumbling, demanding food and I knew Thresh's death would have to be postponed. I couldn't fight him while I was weak.

I set up camp and dug through the supplies I threw in our-my bag. Unfortunately, there wasn't any food and I would be forced to hunt, which would slow down my goal even more. I ran my fingers through my hair, cursing.

"It sure would be nice to have some food!" I yelled. "I wonder what I'll eat!" I glanced up at the sky, anticipating a silver parachute. There was nothing. I collapsed to the ground, gripping my sword tightly. Clove was always better at hunting, she tended to pay better attention at the Academy. Clove. I had to stop thinking about her. Well, obviously Julius was forcing me to hunt. He was probably pissed at me for getting emotional earlier. I couldn't really blame him. I would be too.