There are few things in my life that make me happy. For one, there is that feeling I get when my sword sinks deep into a dummy target. Second, the thought that in a few days it will finally be Reaping Day, so I just hold on to the thought that I will be sinking my sword into REAL PEOPLE soon enough. That keeps me going in training, when I know that I can do all the exercises blindfolded. And third, the girl who I never thought I would feel this way about, the girl I have known since she saved me five years ago. Clove.
I remember that day so clearly that it still haunts me in my nightmares, but it always ends up being a dream because of how it ends. Now, my father was very abusive and a hopeless alcoholic. So it wasn't a surprise when he came to see me in my Training Center dorm looking like he was ready to shoot someone. He was absolutely wasted. He said that he needed to talk to me out back. I knew he was going to yell and scream, and probably hit me. But, refusing and fighting back would only make it worse. So, I went with him, and he started screaming the second the back door to the Center shut.
He was screaming about absolutely nothing, which almost made it better, because I could think that it was all the alcohol's fault. Not his. Even though I knew that was a lie, I couldn't stop myself from thinking like that sometimes. After about ten minutes of this, my father leaned in close and whispered: "You will always be a disappointment to me." And with that, he delivered the first punch, no longer just slaps. A full on punch. He hit me with all of his drunken force, right in my left temple. And being only thirteen, I was not nearly as big as I am now, making it a knockout blow.
I remember seeing small little bits of sky, or the Training Center wall. And then all of a sudden, it went from blackness and silence… to being slapped across the face and brought back to the real world. When I awoke I saw a very small dark-haired girl. She looked like she was a year or two younger. But it must be only one year younger, because you have to be twelve to enter the Training Center… and once you enter, you do not exit.
The small girl looked me dead in the eyes, with a stare so serious it could cause most people to try to turn and walk, but then trip and fall flat on their face. "I'm glad you're awake. I was starting to think of where I could hide your dead, lifeless body." She scoffed.
"My dead, lifele…" I stammered. " Wait, who are you?" I replied. I could barely speak because my temple felt like it was being beaten all over again.
The small girl started to smirk. It looked as though she was about to burst out laughing, but then her face went dead cold, and she replied "I'm Clove."
"Cato." I said, still pretty confused. "How did you find me?" I ask.
"Well I heard … That's not important right now." She retorted. "What happened to you anyway?" She continued.
I looked at her with a face that would scare most people out of their skin. What gives her the right to know that? But the girl just stays there, she didn't even blink. "I uhh… It's nothing. Don't worry about it." I reply, still confused on how she found me lying unconscious out here.
"Cato, wasn't it?" she asked, as if this were us meeting on the first day of training. "People don't just come out back by the dumpsters to take a nap. So, either you were wasted and passed out, or you got into a fight. Which one was it?" she stared at me, it felt like her eyes saw right through me.
I decided to lie to the girl, and tell her that I couldn't remember. "I… I have no idea. So I guess either is possible." I joke. It's very weird to be joking with someone. Especially someone I just met… who doesn't seem to be the nicest person on Earth. But it felt natural.
She looked at me as though giving up. She obviously could tell I was lying, but she left it alone like she believed me. "Well that sucks… or doesn't suck. Depending on what happened I guess." This girl was confusing me, she went from light-hearted and letting me off the hook, to prodding and poking to find out who, what, where,when, and why.
After helping me up, she walked with me inside the Training Center.
"Bye." She quickly said, and with that she quickly turned on her heel and walked away.
"Bye Clo…" I said. But she was out of hearing range. What was with her? She walked extremely confidently for someone our age. She was different. She fascinated me.
