AN: This is a Hunger Games AU where the Districts all have access to the internet. This idea wouldn't leave me alone so I had to write it. Anyway I hope you enjoy it.
I stare at the screen, waiting impatiently for the green dot to appear by the name. I want to talk to her, this might be the last chance I get. I sigh finally admitting that she won't be online until after all the reapings have taken place.
I open up the send message feature and contemplate how exactly I should tell her that soon I'll be dead. I want to tell her my feeling for her. That even though I've never seen her face, or heard her voice that I am hopelessly in love with her and have been for 3 years.
A peacekeeper enters the room with my sister and mother and I smile at them closing Madge's laptop sadly, I'll have to message cloverblade later if I can.
Prim, my sister, runs over to me and hugs me, she's crying and I hold her tightly. I don't want to leave her. She looks up at me with big blue eyes. "Katniss you have to win. Please, you have to come home."
"Maybe I can if I'm smart enough." I reassure her as I kneel in front of her so I'm on her eyes level.
"You can hunt." She says through her tears. I nod.
"Exactly." I force a smile and Prim hugs me again.
"Listen, Gale will bring you game, you can sell milk and cheese from your goat. You'll be alright." I tell her urgently remembering the pact I made with my friend and hunting partner Gale. We'd agreed that if one of us were reaped for the games we would continue to hunt for the others families.
I turn to my mother and stare at her wide, fearful eyes. I scowl at her remembering years ago when my father died in a miner's accident she had sunk into an unresponsive state, she would just sit and stare at the wall all day not moving or talking. We had no money, my sister and I had almost died of starvation and would have done if I hadn't been able to get into the forest and utilise the hunting skills my father had taught me.
I need to get this message across to her. "You can't go away again, no matter what you see you have to stay. You have to take care of Prim." I tell her fiercely clenching my fists and looking directly into her face. She nods dumbly, seeming taken back by my outburst. I sigh, feeling tears fill my eyes as I hug her tightly. "Just please, take care of Prim." I whisper, she nods and wraps her arms around me holding me like she used to long before my father died.
I pull away from her as I feel my resolve not to cry failing. I mustn't look like I've been crying, I must look strong for when the camera are on me again in a few minutes. A peacekeeper comes to lead my family away and Madge enters.
"Katniss…" She looks away sadly. "Any luck talking to your friend?" She asks pointing to the laptop. I shake my head sadly, Madge meets my eye. "I'm going to miss you." She says her voice wobbling slightly.
She crosses the room towards me. Madge and Gale are my only two friends in District 12 and since Gale is older than me it is Madge that I usually hang out with at school. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small pin.
"Will you wear this? As your token?" She asks not looking at me. "I remember you said you liked it." I nod taking the familiar mockingjay pin from my friend. I know it is quite a treasured possession of hers.
"Thank you." I whisper. "I'll return it to you if I can." She nods giving me a sad smile. We both know the chances of us ever seeing each other again are low. I will probably die in the games and never return there can only be one victor of the Hunger Games.
She holds her arms out and I give her a quick hug. "You should message your friend." She says indicating towards the laptop. "She'll see it after the reaping then." I nod opening the laptop.
I stare at the screen not sure how to put my feelings into words. I clench teeth together and can feel tears filling my eyes once more. Madge places a hand on my arm looking at me sincerely. " I love her." I whisper and Madge nods understandingly.
"You should tell her." She says and I nod determinedly. Madge looks up when her father calls her. "I need to go…Just leave the laptop here when…Well you know." She gives me another sad smile and a quick hug.
She lingers by the doorway for a few more moments. "Goodbye." She whispers and I nod to her, holding the pin up to her.
"Thanks..." I indicate to the pin. "Bye…" I feel my voice crack slightly as she leaves the room closing the door behind her. I'll probably never see her again. Gulping I turn back to the screen and start to type. I take a deep breath and reread my message before pressing enter.
fallingarrow says: Hey Clover! I…I just wanted you to know. It's happened, I've been reaped. Well my sister was reaped and I volunteered. I just couldn't, I couldn't let her die. She's 12, I can't let her die when I can so easily die instead.
I know I don't have much chance of winning. Not with the people from your district and from 1, no offense of course ;)
I just I wanted to say goodbye I guess. I'll miss talking to you. There's something else I wanted to tell you as well…I love you, I have done for 3 years, I love you more than I love my own sister. I know that sounds stupid. I've never met you, I've never even seen a picture of you but it's true. Because I've fallen for who you are.
I'm sorry if that came off as creepy… I just needed you to know how I feel before I go to the games. I'm using my friend's laptop at the moment. I'm waiting for the peacekeeper to come and take me to the train.
So I guess I'll never talk to you again after this, I don't think they'll let me use a computer once I'm in the Capitol but if they do then there's a chance I can speak to you. But if not then I guess this is goodbye, I love you.
I stare at the screen, the peace keepers enter the room and tell me to get moving. "Wait, just one second." I say to them and type our familiar goodbye.
fallingarrow says: Stay alive
I smile slightly at the irony of it. It had become practice for us to type that out just before we logged out. It started when my father died, I had planned to kill myself because everything hurt so much. In desperation I'd typed something onto a forum and cloverblade had replied to it.
We'd started private messaging each other and she's talked me out of killing myself on multiple occasions. She saved my life. The first night we'd sat messaging each other through the entire night as I cried and ranted to her. When I had to leave the computer in the early hours of the morning to get ready for school she'd sent me those two words. "Stay alive."
Throughout the 5 years I'd known her we've always ended a conversation like that, whether it was relevant or not. It was sort of a joke now I suppose. I hastily press the log off button and close the laptop before following the peacekeepers out of the room.
I stand on the chariot surveying my fellow tributes. I spot District 2's tributes and eye them speculatively, wondering if one of them know my friend personally. I shrug, there's no point in asking them, Clover said she never told anyone about who she is online.
She told me that in her District she had to pretend to be a strong heartless killer. But she'd told me she wasn't like that, she'd told me she didn't want to kill anyone, she would of course, if she ever had to go into the games and she'd put on her front, her sadistic front, but that didn't mean she wanted to kill them or that she enjoyed it. She just knew that in the games giving the Capitol what they want is important.
I sigh eyeing the girl standing next to the huge blond boy. The girl is small, wearing a smirk on her face as she glares at the surrounding tributes. She's really cute, if you ignore the smirk and the glare I decide, I shake my head. This is not the time to be thinking girls are cute. I need to concentrate on fighting I these games. On trying to win.
She catches my eye and her smirk widens, I gulp at the look in her dark eyes. This girl could and will kill me in an instant. I definitely do not want to be thinking she's cute. I look away from her and glance at my stylist, a man named Cinna.
He holds a torch with fire and starts talking to me but I'm not really listening, I glance at my District partner, Peeta, he gives me a small smile which I find myself unable to return.
I know Peeta although we've never spoken, the only interaction we've ever had was just after my father had died. We were starving and he gave me bread. He is a baker's son so works in the bakery. I was sitting in the rain trying to sell some of Prim's old baby clothes we didn't need any more and I'd just about given up but he'd seen me, he'd thrown me some bread that fed my family and allowed us to live until I could get into the forest to hunt.
I look away from him swallowing the lump in my throat. He's a good person, he shouldn't be here. The chariots start moving and we're now the last chariot in the courtyard. "…I'm going to set you on fire now." I turn to Cinna my eyes widening.
Did I hear him correctly? He's going to do what? I suddenly wish I'd bothered to listen to what he'd been saying, he sighs seeing my terror. "It's fake flame, you won't get burned." He tells me as he lowers the torch onto mine and Peeta's capes.
The fire looks pretty real to me and I scrunch my eyes shut. I'm going to die before the games have even begun. I hear cheering and open my eyes, brightly dressed Capitol people cheer as the horses pull my chariot into view.
I look down, I'm on fire. I bite my lip waiting for the smell of burning flesh and the searing pain. Nothing happens and I find myself grinning. That Cinna man is a genius I decide, how has he made this look so real?
The chariots pull up in front of a balcony and President Snow looks down on us. He starts to give a speech about the glory of the Hunger Games and I have to resist the urge to scoff at his words.
After his speech the tributes are whisked off to a building where we'll be spending the next few days while we train for the games.
"So tell me Peeta, is there a special girl back home?" A blue haired Caesar Fickerman asks. Peeta looks away, glancing around the audience of Capitol people nervously.
"Well…Not really." Peeta mutters turning back to Caesar.
"Come on handsome young man like you? I don't believe it for a second." Caesar turns to the audience and laughs causing the audience to cheer. I sigh rolling my eyes at the stupidity of these interviews. It's the night before the games and we have to be interviewed before we're thrown into the arena. Luckily Peeta is the last to be interviewed and I find myself looking forward to the soft Capitol bed that I can sleep in for what will probably be my last night alive.
"Well…There is someone…I don't think she noticed me before the reaping though."
"Well, here's what you do Peeta, you go out there and you win, she can hardly say no then can she?" Caesar laughs again and the crowd cheers enthusiastically. Peeta shakes his head sadly.
"I don't think winning is going to help me."
"And why's that?" Caesar turns back to Peeta, Peeta sighs and glance up.
"Because she came here with me."
It takes me a few moments to realise exactly what he meant by that and when I do I feel my face reddening. I don't like Peeta like that, this is really embarrassing. I spot camera on me and look away, I scowl, hating myself for blushing, now everyone is going to think I like him too.
"Two tributes can now win the games if they form an alliance while there are more than two tributes remaining." My head snaps up as I bite my lip at the announcement. I've just lost my ally, I've just lost Rue.
I stand shakily, there's the two District 2 tributes left, the boy from 11, the girl from 5 and Peeta. I frown wondering if teaming up would be a good idea. I don't think the two tributes from 2 would want to team up with me and it probably wouldn't be wise to do so.
The boy from 11 and the girl from 5 look like the sort of people that will stab me in the back as well. I bite me lip, that leaves Peeta. He's a good person and if I can win this and bring him out of here as well… I nod my head in determination, I'm more likely to survive with an ally anyway.
I know Rue said that Peeta is by the river so I head in that direction. I find him after walking a while. He lies, completely still, covered in mud perfectly camouflaged with the ground around him.
"Peeta!" I kneel down beside him and he looks up at me and smiles. He's injured, a huge gash is on his leg and I can see that it's infected.
I help him to a cave. I'm not sure what to do, he'll die if he can't get any medicine but I have no idea how to get hold of any. I suppose I'll have to rely on sponsors, I bite my lip wondering how popular Peeta is with them.
"Why are you helping me?" Peeta asks after a while. I shrug not really sure why I'm still with him, it would've been easier to just leave him there once I'd seen that he would probably die. I purse my lips I should've chosen someone else to ally myself with.
"We can both win this, we can both go home." I say emotionlessly not looking at him.
"Katniss…I…" He sighs and I turn to him, staring at his shadowy form in the darkness of the cave. He shakes his head. "I'm not going to make it, I heard the announcement, you'd be better off with someone else."
I scowl at him, hating him for voicing my thoughts. "Shut up. I'm not leaving you." I say stubbornly. Now that I'm with him I might as well stick with him.
"Why?" He asks and I turn away from him. "Do you love me?" He asks after a while and I turn to him angrily.
"No." I snap and immediately regret it at his wince, I sigh and move closer to him, "No…I'm sorry, it's just…There's someone else." I say more softly. Peeta nods slowly.
"Who is she?"
I jump up almost hitting my head on the cave ceiling. "Shut the hell up Peeta! Not everyone knows I like girls like that!" I say to him urgently, it's Peeta's turn to laugh now.
"Really? The whole District knows, you're not that subtle you know..." He laughs for a moment longer before sighing. "I just hoped...You know, maybe you liked guys too, you always seemed to be close to that seam guy…Gale."
I glare at him before sighing, I guess now everyone knows I might as well clear everything up. "I don't like guys that way…Gale is just a friend."
"Ah...Alright then…" Peeta is silent for a while. "Is it Madge?" He asks suddenly and I turn to him with my eyebrows raised. Madge? How can he think that?
"Madge is just a friend." I tell him. He nods in understanding.
"So who is it then?" He asks after a while, I groan in irritation.
"You don't know her." I snap.
"Try me, what's her name?"
"Seriously you won't know her." I growl before sighing. "I met her online, she's not from 12."
He stares at me for a long time before grinning. "So what's her name? Where's she from?"
"Why are you so interested?" I ask scowling at him. Peeta shrugs.
"I knew I'd never have you, I just want to know what kind of girl can steal your heart."
I sigh. "Her name's Clover, she's from District 2 and I've known her for 5 years." I tell him before turning away from him, I can feel myself blushing profusely and I'm hyper aware of the cameras filming my every action.
"What does she look like?"
"I…I don't know…" I whisper not looking at him.
"You've known her for 5 years and haven't even exchanged pictures?" Peeta asks disbelievingly. I shrug but nod slowly.
"I guess it never came up."
Peeta sighs but lets it go. I watch as he falls asleep and I'm glad that this conversation has stopped, I sigh standing up and wandering to the entrance of the cave. I stare at the stars in the sky, silently wishing I could just get out of here, travel to District 2 and find my Clover. I shake my head, she's not my Clover, she probably only sees me as a friend anyway.
I sigh, talking to Peeta about Clover has made my chest ache and I swallow a lump in my throat. Maybe if I get out of this alive I can meet her. I smile at the thought, I wonder what she looks like. I shrug, it doesn't matter, I think I'll love her no matter how she looks.
Peeta gets worse over the next few days. We don't get any sponsors and I know he'll die soon, honestly I'm not sure why I've stuck around. I jump at the sudden announcement.
"A feast will be held at the cornucopia tomorrow at dawn. This is no ordinary occasion, each of you needs something and we be generous hosts have decided to grant it to you."
I scowl, Peeta's medicine, I turn to Peeta who is unconscious. I could go and get the medicine or I could just leave him here. There's no point in staying here and watching him die. I have to decide now, the cornucopia is a long trek away.
I sigh shaking my head, I should at least try to get the medicine I'll stay around the edge and evaluate how risky it'll be. I wander over to Peeta unclipping a full spare water bottle from my belt and leaving it near him. He should at least have something to drink if I'm going to leave him here for a short while.
The cornucopia is ahead of me, I stare at it from the bush where I'm hiding. Suddenly the ground in front of the cornucopia entrance opens up and a table rises up, four bags on it. I squint at the bags, the first bag has a 2 on it while the middle two have 5 and 11 on them respectively. The last bag has large 12 written on it, that's the one I need.
I start to run forwards but stop when I spot the red haired girl from 5 dart out of the cornucopia and grab the bag with 5 on it before rushing off into the forest. I scowl wishing I had thought of such a brilliant plan.
I start to run forwards again, grabbing the bag with 12 on it and turning to run away. My eyes widen when I spot the girl from 2 standing a few paces away from me. She smirks at me raising a knife to throw.
I fall to the side, evading the knife as the girl runs forward, and pounces on me. We wrestle on the ground and although she's smaller than me but she's stronger than she looks. I find her on top of me, straddling me she smirks at me triumphantly as she pulls out a tiny knife.
"Where's your boyfriend?" She asks as she fiddles with her knife. I glare at her, hating that she's calling Peeta my boyfriend, he is not my boyfriend! I struggle against her.
"He's not my…" I'm cut off as the girl press the knife tip to my cheek, I can feel a bead of blood run down my cheek.
"Ah ah ah, keep still." She gives me a small smile. "So no feelings for lover boy? He must be so heartbroken." She says sarcastically. I gulp, realising that this is probably how I'm going to die. I close my eyes and wait for the girl to slash open my throat.
"Giving up on fighting so quickly?" She sounds disappointed and I open her eyes, she's looking at me speculatively. She sighs shrugging before leaning closer to me. "Fine by me. Any last words?"
I close my eyes, the words stay alive flashing through my head. I can't do it, I can't win these games. I knew my chances were slim but now I know I'm going to die. I've failed her. I open my eyes seeing the girl has a bored expression on her face, "Yes…I…I'm sorry….I couldn't stay alive…" I say clearly, hoping the cameras are filming this and that it is being broadcasted in District 2 that she's seeing this.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stay alive cloverblade!" I say loudly, screwing my eyes shut.
The next thing I know the weight on me is gone, there's no blade against my skin. I open my eyes and sit up, spotting the girl a few inches away from me. Her eyes wide, she scrambles away from me.
"What did you say?" She asks, I stare at her in confusion wondering why she hasn't killed me already. "Cloverblade…"
She frowns and shakes her head before meeting my eyes. "Fallingarrow?" She whispers, tears filling her eyes as she shakes her head. "Kat?"
"Clover?" I say I disbelief, she nods and I stare at her in shock. This girl, the person I've been in love with for 3 years is right in front of me.
She's beautiful; I stare at her with my mouth open slightly, taking in everything about her face wanting to etch it into my memory, her dark eyes, her cute little nose that's covered in freckles, her lips, I look away, not liking where this train of thought is taking me. Kissing her right now probably wouldn't be the best idea.
"You're in the games…" She says slowly, her eyes wide with fear. "I could've killed you…" She shakes her head as the colour drains from her face. I start to move closer to her. It's at this time that I spot a dark shape running towards us. He's staring directly at Clover, he raises a scythe and on instinct I grab my bow.
Her eyes widen as I nock an arrow and stand, she unsurely grabs a knife but I've already released my arrow into the boy from 11's skull. He falls to the ground with a thump and Clover turns staring at the dead body as a canon sounds in the distance.
"Thanks." She whispers giving me a small heart melting smile, I return it shakily, and find myself mesmerised by her dark eyes.
"Clove! What the fuck are you doing?" A blonde boy runs out of the bushed. I recognise him as her district partner. "Kill the district 12 scum." He yells drawing his sword and charging towards me. "Fuck it I'll do it myself."
The next thing I know is he's lying on the floor a knife sticking out of his head and another canon is sounding in the distance. I turn to the girl that threw it my eyes wide, she smirks at me. "I told you I was good at this Kat." She says jokingly, I nod slowly before frowning.
"He called you Clove…"
She winces and shakes her head. "My real name…Clove Sevina…Clover is sort of my internet name…" She looks at me thoughtfully as I grin like an idiot, Clove Sevina, Her name is just a beautiful as her. "Not that I talk to anyone but you."
"Katniss Everdeen…That's my real name…"
She nods. "I know…Unlike some I actually watch the reapings." She smirks at me and I feel myself go bright red, she knows that since we were never forced to watch the reapings that I never watched them. She cautiously approaches me. I stand completely still unsure of her intentions.
I'm surprised and elated when she hugs me. "There…I promised I'd do that if I ever actually met you..." Her eyes soften and she reaches up and brushes a strand of hair out of my face. I can feel myself still blushing and she smiles, a real genuine smile. "You're really cute you know that?" She says before her eyes widen as she realises what she just said. A light blush appears on her cheeks as she pulls away from me.
"So…Alliance?" I ask suddenly very glad of the rule change, we can both get out of this. She nods and holds out her hand to me, I take it and we shake hands.
"Alliance." She says grinning at me.
"So just the girl from 5 and the boy from 12 left." She says, my eyes widen as I remember Peeta. She frowns as I explain the situation.
"So you say he'll die on his own?" She says slowly. I nod and she sighs shaking her head and refusing to look at me. "What do you want to do?"
I shrug. "He has to die…" I…I'd rather win with you…I…lo...like you…" I blush hoping she didn't notice that I almost told her I love her, she looks at me speculatively raising an eyebrow in the most adorable way possible.
"Ok, do you want to just leave him to die or should we go kill him." She folds her arms across her chest and stares at me, I shrug, both options don't seem right.
"I guess we should just leave him…But it would probably be kinder to end it now."
Clove's eyes soften as she's see's my dilemma. "Is he your friend?" She asks, I shake my head.
"I only allied myself with him because of the rule change." I admit and she nods.
"Would you like me to kill him?"
"I can't ask you to do that!" I exclaim, she raises an eyebrow at me and pulls out a knife spinning it around in her hand.
"It's what I've been trained to do remember? Don't worry about me." She smiles sadly and I nod. "Come on, where is he?"
It's a long trek back to the cave and we stop to find some food, I go and hunt and Clove decides to go and forage for some berries or something. I stare at her, not really wanting to part from this girl that I've known for so long and yet have only just met in person.
I hesitantly approach her and throw my arms around her. "Stay alive." I whisper in her ear. She grins at me as I pull away.
"Stay alive Kat." She replies, her eyes glowing with warmth. I watch as she wanders away from me mesmerised for a moment before I shake myself out of my stupor.
I manage to bring down a pigeon and I meet Clove so we can cook it and eat. She pulls out a small pouch. "I think I've found a way to solve our problem with that boy." She tells me opening the pouch and showing me what's inside.
"Nightlock?" I ask in disbelief, she means to poison him? Clove shrugs.
"It'll be painless, probably one of the best ways to go… But if you'd rather it be another way…"
"No…You're right…It's probably the best way…" I sigh and scoot closer to her, handing her the pouch back. Unsurely I lean against her shoulder, grinning slightly when she wraps an arm around me. I close my eyes, savouring the feeling of being so near to the girl I love.
"Did you…Did you get my message?" I ask after a while. Clove turns to me frowning.
"What message?" She asks in confusion.
"I sent you a message after I volunteered for my sister." I tell her hesitantly, she shakes her head. "I haven't been online since I was reaped, I couldn't get access to a computer, otherwise I would've messaged you." She holds me tighter and I nod.
"Ok…" She doesn't know how I feel, I bite my lip wondering if I should tell her.
"What did it say?"
I freeze, I'm in for it now. "Er…" I pull away from her and refuse to look at her, I'm blushing again. I glance at her to see her smiling at me a knowing look in her eyes.
"Can I guess?" She asks, smirking at me but her eyes remain warm.
"I err, yeah...I guess…"
"Hmm." Her smirk widens as her eyes sparkle knowingly and I desperately try to hide my blush. Slowly she reaches for my chin and gently forces me to look her in the eye. She smiles warmly leaning closer to me and pausing and inch away from my face giving me the opportunity to pull away if I want to but I just continue to stare into her dark eyes my heart beating rapidly in my chest, I'm sure she can feel it.
She presses her soft lips against mine. My heart does a strange little leap as I close my eyes and return the kiss. We part gasping for breath, my head is spinning as I gaze into her eyes.
"Do you love me?" She asks softly, not taking her eyes off me for a second, I find myself getting lost in the intensity of them.
"Yes." I whisper. She grins and her lips crash into mine. My heart flutters happily as I kiss her. I reach up and tangle my fingers in her hair. Nothing has ever felt so right before in my life.
"Well Kat…I guess you should know, I love you too." She grins keeping her forehead pressed against mine as she kisses my nose. I can't help the grin that spreads across my face. Briefly I wonder what everyone back in District 12 is thinking of this but those thoughts quickly leave my mind as Clove presses her lips against mine once more.
A canon sounds and Clove pulls herself out of the cave. "It's done." She says to me as she walks over to the river and washes the berry juice off her hands. I nod slowly giving her a small smile, she approaches me a quickly kisses me on the cheek.
"We should find that girl…what did you call her? Foxface?" She suggests. I nod in agreement, once Foxface is dead then we can get out of here.
The arena darkens and I frown glancing around. Something is wrong. I tighten my grip on my bow and nock an arrow in readiness. The arena shouldn't be getting dark at this time.
Clove frowns too pulling a knife out of her belt she glares at a nearby bush. Suddenly a dog creature burst out and Clove releases the knife. It imbeds itself in the creatures eye as it yelps and falls to the ground.
"I think we should run." Clove says, grabbing my hands and dragging me behind her. I glance behind us and spot two more dogs chasing us, they're huge, with large jaws filled with glistening white teeth that look like they could rip us to shreds in an instant.
I speed up desperately "Clover the trees!" I shout, she nods and drags me over to a tree, giving me a leg up before scrambling up the tree herself. The dogs snap at the bottom of the tree and I look down.
Suddenly a pair of hands are grabbing me from behind and I'm being thrown off the tree. I manage to grab a branch dropping my bow in the process, I glance down seeing the dogs destroy it. I turn my gaze to above me. I can see Foxface wrestling with Clove, apparently we've all chosen the same tree to shelter in. Foxface's lips are drawn back into a snarl as she tries to keep Clove's knife away from her throat.
"Kat?" Clove glances down her eyes wide with fear. I start to climb up the tree towards them, I need to help Clove.
"Get off my girlfriend!" I shout as I fling myself at Foxface. The knife slips out of Clove's hand and hits Clove in the stomach there's blood everywhere and fear fills me as I continue to wrestle with the red haired girl. I need to get to my Clover, to see if she's alright.
Foxface goes still before coughing, a spray of blood hits my face and I turn away in disgust, I spot a knife in the side of her throat. A canon sounds and I manage to push her off me. She falls to the ground and I hear the dogs rip her apart. Wincing I sit up and turn to Clove who's panting as she holds one hand to her stomach.
"Clover!" I shout, scooting over to her, she's managed to make it to a thick branch so she doesn't have to hold on to the tree. I feel sick when I see the state of her. There's a large gash in her stomach that's bleeding profusely. She takes a few shuddering breaths before opening her eyes.
"Kat?" She rasps.
"Clover, it's going to be alright Foxface is dead, we're alive, we've won." I whisper to her urgently she smiles and nods. "They should be here any minute now to take us out of here, they'll have doctors, they can fix you up." I brush the hair out of her forehead and grip her free hand in mine.
"Attention tributes the previous rule change allowing two tributes to win the games if they are allies has been revoked, may the odds be ever in your favour."
I gasp, no, they can't do this. She's going to die, panic fills me I can't live without her I love her too much. Clove looks me in the eye. "It's…Alright…Kat…" She shudders, closing her eyes for a moment.
"It's not alright…You have to live…You have to!" I'm crying now and I can't stop. Clove shakily reaches up and wipes away my tears.
"It... Will…Be alright…I love…You." She coughs and closes her eyes baring her teeth in pain for a moment before opening her eyes once more. "You…Called…Me…You're girlfriend…" She grins, her eyes although clouded with pain glow with warmth.
"Well you are my girlfriend. I love you Clover." I tell her, tears still falling from my cheeks. She gulps and twitches slightly, I know she doesn't have much longer.
"Kat…S….Stay…Alive…" She stutters, I nod slowly, unable to contain my sobs when she says our familiar goodbye, this will probably be the last time I hear it. I lean in and press a kiss against her lips. I can taste the metallic taste of her blood and I pull away. She smiles at me before closing her eyes and becoming still.
A canon sounds in the distance and I find myself screaming. She's dead, she can't be dead. I can't breathe as I hear a hovercraft above me. I fight as people pull me inside. "Clove!" I scream as they pull me away from her body.
I feel something sharp being jabbed into my arm and suddenly I feel my energy draining from my body. "Clove…Clover…" I close my eyes a allow myself to go limp. "I love you." I slur before the blackness surrounding my vision takes me.