I love this place. I've walked there since I was a little child. The only thing I see is the sunlight shining through the branches. The only thing I smell are the fir needles. The only thing I feel is loneliness. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
"Clove? Clovey, what's up?" I feel how he sits down next to me and open my eyes again.
"Everything is fine, Cato. No worries."
"I don't believe you. The last time you told me this was when your cousin died."
"Okay. It's because... I..." I break my sentence and hurl my knife into the grass. "I know what you feel. Tomorrow is the Reaping day. Everyone acts strange today."
"Probably." "Will... will you volunteer?" "I don't know. I'm 15 now. I could wait another three years. Three years more training."
"But you're already good enough. You could do this, if you really want it. I've watched you very often... You are great."
"Thank you, Cato. I'm happy having a friend like you."
"I'm always there for you, Clovey."
I look into his eyes. His deep, blue eyes... He encloses my hand. We move closer and closer, I can fell his breath on my throat. Then I close my eyes again...
"Clove? Are you out there?" We turn our heads. My best friend, Rowan, is walking through the trees in our direction, searching for me. I change a view with Cato, just how I would say sorry. "We should go now. Preparing the Reaping." "Sure. Let's go." I don't want to go away, but I get up and call: "Rowan! I'm here!" "Clove, I've been searching you for... Oh." She spots Cato. "I'm sorry, Rowan." "Ah no, that's alright..." "Well, then, see you Clove." Cato gets up and walks away, without saying another word.
I try not to look disappointed, but Rowan knows me. She grins at me, it's not like she wouldn't know what happened. "Oh, shut up." I say and push her against a tree, with a smile on my face. "Come on, let's get back."

"Clove, could you help me tidy the kitchen?" "Sure, mum." I take the wood plates and put them back on the shelf. "Oh no, what are you doing? Why are you here?" My dad is standing on the door sill, staring at me angrily. "What do you mean exactly?" "Why are you HERE and not at the training?!" "Why should I train today? Tomorrow is the Reaping!" "That's the point! Tomorrow, you will volunteer, that's what you're going to do! I hate to watch you here doing nothing!" "John! How can you say something like that!" Mum cries. "You know the neighbours? Their daughter Rune volunteered with 14!" "Yeah, and she died in the arena!" I feel deep rage inside of me. "Who cares? You go to the training stations right now, and tomorrow, you'll volunteer, no matter what the others say! If you refuse, you won't know what's hit you!"
That's enough. I drop the cleaning cloth and shout at my father.
"Shut up! You will not tell me what I'll do! This is MY life and I won't allow you destroy it!"
"Who do you think you are?! You know what?! It'll probably be the best if you die in the arena!"
These words left in the silence, my eyes filled with tears, I run out the kitchen, open the door and just walk away. No matter where I go.
I can't see very much with a mist of tears before my eyes, and suddenly I run into somebody.
"Sorry, I..." "Clove, what happened?!" I raise my head and wipe the tears away with my sleeve. My sight gets better and I can identify Cato. But I don't want to talk, I just stare at him. He hugs me and says nothing, here just gives me the feeling of safety. That's why I can't live without them. I don't have to talk to explain my feels. He knows them everytime he looks into my eyes.
"Thank you, Cato." I whisper, still with a little tearful voice.
"That's alright, Clovey. I promised you. I'll be always there for you."
As I look at him again, he puts his hand on my cheek and wipes a single tear away. He smiles and I try to do too. Then, he lowers his sight and in the next moment, his lips are laying on mine. I have this crawly feel in my whole body. Nothing else is important anymore. Only Cato and me...
After a unknown time (at least was this what I felt), he smiles again, raises his head and says: "See you tomorrow, Clove. And don't forget: I'll be there, no matter what will happen." I'm not able to say something, I only accomplish a little smile, then he turns around and I watch him disappearing in the sunset.

It's the Reaping Day.
"You look beautiful, my dear."
My mum puts her hands on my shoulders and kisses me on my cheek. "Good luck, my brave. Please remember: it's all up to you and whatever will happen, I will always love you." "I love you too, mum." She hugs me, then we hear the bugle which tells us to assemble at the hall of justice.
As I walk down in direction of the door, I stop when I see myselft in the mirror in the corridor. My mum did pin up my dark brown hair, and I wear my new pinkish dress. I don't look like me. But there's actually something different. I can't say I'm still the same person who went into the woods yesterday. Stop thinking, Clove. I close the door behind me, without looking back again.
I arrive the big place and search Rowan and the other childs of my age. "Clove, there you are!" Rowan looks beautiful and scared at the same time. She tied her red hair into a braid and she wears a white dress. I'm very glad that she's my best friend.
We follow the other children and wait, until our district's escort, a woman in gaudy glittering blue clothes, her names is Tenia, walks over the stage and starts to talk. I don't listen to the speech anymore, I hear it for the fourth time now. I try to find Cato in the crowd, but he's 18 and the older ones are mostly a little back. There are so many people, I can't see him.
Then, Tenia gets all of my consideration. "Ladies first, as usual."
She steps to the girl's glass bowl with her high heels.
She picks a little chit.
She opens it.
She reads the name.
Let it not be Rowan, please.
"Clove Rivers!"
I close my eyes. I try to breath. I feel how Rowan catches hold of my hand.
"Come on, Clove, where are you?" I don't move. Then, I feel how I get pulled away and open my eyes. The peacekeepers guide me towards the stage. My hand slips out of Rowan's, she starts to cry, but two peacekeepers restrain her.
Tenia guides me to the middle of the stage and says: "Have a big applause for our female tribute from district 2, Clove Rivers!" Most people clap their hands, but I know some of them just do it because they have to do it.
"Now, the boys." Tenia pulls out a chit from the other glass bowl. "Jonathan ..."
"I VOLUNTEER!"
I freeze. No. NO! I know this voice. I know this voice very good. It was telling me that everything's alright so many times.
"Umm, well, alright, bring him up to us!" I stare at Cato while he's walking through the other childs. Tenia makes him stand next to me.
He looks into my eyes one time, and I immediately can see what he wants to say. I'M SORRY. I don't hear the rest of the things Tenia says, I feel like someone hypnotized me.
There's only one thing I know very exactly.
Cato volunteered to protect me, no one would doubt that.
But I will not tolerate this.
No matter what the others say.
I love Cato.
And. I. Will. Not. Let. Him. Die.