"Look!" Marvel yells, pointing up at a cloud of smoke trailing up into the sky. Great, more hunting. (Please insert sarcasm here). I force myself to smile. Sponsors like ruthless killers, so I need to act like one, even if killing makes me sick to my stomach.
I buckled another knife into my belt, and followed Marvel and Cato as they ran into the forest like blood-thirsty wolves on the hunt.
When we reached the fire,it was empty. No one was tending it. "Damn." I cursed, tilting my head to look up at the sky, and see another cloud of smoke not too far off."Look!" I call, "Do you think it's Firegi-" my question was cut off by a series of so-painfully-loud-that-your-ears-almost-start-bleeding explosions.
"The supplies!" Cato, Marvel, and I yell at the same time. Cato and I turn, and begin to sprint back towards the Cornucopia. Cato stops, and turns back to Marvel.
"Track down whoever started this fire!" He orders, then turns back to me and we continue in our sprint back. I slow my pace just below the treeline to see the smoldering ruins of our supplies.
What happened? Who did this?
Cato begins to run toward the ruins of the supplies again, and I follow right on his heels.
"What the hell happened here?!" he demands to the boy with the limp, as we walk up to the cornucopia. Cato's hands are curled into fists so tight his knuckles turn a bright white. I can tell by the way his jaw is positioned he's grinding his teeth in anger, as he stalks toward the boy. I then realize what he's about to do. Fear striken, I grab his arm, trying to pull him back.
"Cato, calm down." I try to say as calmly as I can. He pushes me back. "Cato! Calm down!" I yell, but he shoves me back again, and I stumble to the ground. "Cato! Stop!" I yell, as Cato wraps both of his hands around the boys head, and all I see is a quick jerk of the muscles in his arms, and a loud snap, before the boy falls to the ground, limp.
I get to my feet and hurry over to Cato, and grab his arm again. "Cato! What the hell?!" I yell over the sound of the boys cannon. I don't expect to feel the stinging blow against my cheek.
I fall to the ground again, stunned. My hand flies up to the bright red hand print against my cheek that Cato had left when he hit me.
I feel the tears come, and I allow my bangs to fall over my eyes so Cato can't see them. I pull myself off of the ground again, turn, and race back into the forest, barely dodging the trees and foliage made blurry by my tears.
"Clove! Clove!" I hear behind me, but I continue to fly through the trees. "Please come back! I'm sorry!" Cato yells, but I don't answer him, instead, my lungs aching for air, I stop, and sit against a large boulder, hugging my knees to my chest, trying to muffle the quiet sobs tht escape from my mouth.
A few minutes later, a twig snaps behind me. I grab one of the knives from my belt, turn, and whip the blade at the new threat.
"Ow! Jesus, Clove!" Cato criesout in surprise, holding his arm. His hand hiding a gash just below his shoulder. "Clove, I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean to- I-" He's cut off as I run up and hug him tightly, still crying intensly, and my tears stain his shirt.
"I'm so sorry. I- I don't know what happened, I mean- I didn't to-" He sighs, then pulls me back gently so I'm looking at him. "Shh. I'm sorry, please don't cry." He says, tentitively wiping away the tears on my cheeks. This hand is soft, gentle, not at all like the one that had hit me. I feel new tears come to my eyes again, different tears. Cato didn't hit me. It was someone else. Cato would never hurt me ever. I let these new tears fall.
I'm such a pansy, but I don't care. Whatever the others think, whatever my district or the people of the Capitol think. I. DON'T. CARE. All that matters is that Cato and I are together.
"Are you okay?" He asks me, looking into my eyes apologetically. I nod, sniffling quietly. I hug him again, my ear against his chest, and listening to his strong, steady heartbeat, and I feel calm again.
I don't know how long the two of us sit like this , simply soaking the warmth of each others company. But the sun has sunk low into the sky when we are inturrupted by a loud cannon blast.
"Who do you think that was?" I ask.
"I don't know, but let's go back. It isn't safe here." Cato whispers. I feel the urge to remind him that in these games, we're never safe... But, I understand what he means. It would be better to stay at the Cornucopia, where we would be able to see people coming.
Cato takes my hand, and together, we run back to where our camp once stood.
