Well hello there! If you're reading this, CONGRATS! You've found my first published story! I wrote this with a friend from church who is OBSESSED with Cato winning the Hunger Games. So, we decided to rewrite it! Just a fair warning: This story is focused on Katniss and Cato, but as of right now it won't be like a relationship—just friends! It takes place in the first arena after Rue's death, and most of the tributes are all dead. The whole story is in Katniss's point of view, like the books. So without further ado, here's the Cato Chronicles: Life in the Arena.

Summary: "That happened quickly," I say, hating how shaky my voice sounded. If it wasn't for my arrows, I'd be dead already. But I can string an arrow as fast as he can through a spear, so neither of us makes a move. "So…" Cato tried to talk. "Can I kill you now?"


Chapter One: Let's Work Together

Through the distance, I hear Claudius Templesmith's voice ring out like a bell. "Attention remaining tributes: We are bored of you. If you aren't dead within the next 24 hours, we will blow the arena up. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Before I can help myself, I shout "I must kill Peeta!" There is no time to lose. Weak and helpless, Peeta will be an easy kill. Once I get him out of the way, I can move on to the more challenging tributes. I pick up my bow and arrows and start to walk. I pass Rue's body, I almost stop one last time for her, but killing Peeta is much more important. How should I kill him? Millions of ideas flood my mind, but if he's as hungry as I am, I know one thing that will work: nightlock. Then, at least it will be relatively painless. As much as I hate Peeta, I don't think I could live down shooting an arrow through his heart. No, nightlock will do. I know he is lying by the river by what Cato said. How kind of Cato to make the job so easy for me, first cutting him and then revealing his location.

I was almost to the river when my foot got caught in something. It looks like a trap or something, so someone must be nearby. I try to pull my foot out, but it was stuck. Twigs snap. I panic. This is not how I'm going to die. A foot steps out of the bushes. I look up and see…Cato? "Hello, Cato," I said casually, still struggling with the trap.

"Hello," he replies, taken aback by my peacefulness. "You know, I wasn't planning to trap you." He sneered.

"You weren't?" I asked.

"No, I thought you were too smart. Guess not," he raises his spear, poised to throw. "Thanks for making my job easier."

"WAIT!" I yell frantically. "Wait. I'm going to the river to kill Peeta. I'm sure you want him dead, too, so we should work together. Just this once, then you can kill me!"

Cato looked like he was thinking. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"You don't, but it's your only chance at finding Peeta," I stammer. "He's good at camouflage. You'll never find him. But he trusts me. If I call out to him, he'll answer. I swear it. But you could spend days looking for him when all along he's right under your nose. You need me, Cato."

He looks at me, then at his spear. He raises it again, and I know I'm about to die. I close my eyes and wait for the pain, but it never comes. "Are you coming?" I hear. Opening my eyes, I see my foot is free and Cato is waiting for me. Mumbling a response, I get up and start walking.


"You lead the way," he tells me. "Since you know where he is." Obviously Cato misunderstood me. I don't know where Peeta is, I just know how to find him. But I bravely step forward and march on, pretending I know exactly where I'm going, although really it's just a stab in the dark.

"Peeta! Peeta! Can you hear me?" I turn to Cato. "He's just up the river a bit. Maybe he's sleeping and can't hear me." We keep walking. After walking for about fifteen minutes and finding no sign of Peeta, I can tell Cato is aggravated.

"I thought you knew where he was! Where is he? I bet you took me out here so you can kill me. Yeah, that's it. You're still madly in love with him, and he told you to kill me! I knew it. I should have just killed you when I had the chance." With that, Cato punches a tree. Said tree moves and makes a whining noise.

"Peeta? Is that you?" I ask while stepping away.

"No," the tree replies.

"See!" I tell Cato. "I told you he was around here!"

"You said that three hours ago," Cato replied, clearly unimpressed. "Let's see, how should we kill you? Spear, sword, arrow, or a mixture of all three?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of nightlock," I offer weakly.

"Perfect! All three!" Cato cries enthusiastically.

"Um…what about nightlock? We tell him we're on his side, give him the berries, and once he's dead we can chop off his head! Or something…" Explaining this to Cato was like talking to a three year old.

"That would be a good idea…" Cato says. "If he wasn't right there next to you when you said that!"

"I didn't hear a thing!" Peeta said quickly. "Did someone say berries? Hand them over!"

With that, Cato punches the tree—and Peeta—again. "Katniss, do you have them with you?"

I nod.

"Do you two need like a final hug or something?"

I slap him.

"Well, then give them to Peeta." Cato sighs, looking surprisingly sad and downcast. "And I was going to have so much fun with him, too. Oh well, we'll just have to make up for it on the next tribute, won't we?"

"We?" I repeat, my hand frozen in my bag. "But I thought you said—I mean, never mind!" I decide it wouldn't be the best idea to remind Cato of his plan to kill me.

"Yes, we!" Cato laughs. "I figured if we can kill Peeta so easily, we can kill the rest of the tributes, too! Of course, I'll have to kill you later, but let's not think about that now."

"…Right." I hand him the berries. Really, Cato? You kill me? It would be so easy to kill you right now. We all know I'm going to win! I laughed to myself.

"Alright, here it goes. Any last words, lover boy?" Cato says. Peeta opens his mouth to speak and Cato shoves the berries into his mouth. "Well, that was easy! He totally cooperated with me. Although, most of the tributes do!" For some reason, I'm mad at Cato. Could it be because it had been my motive all along to kill Peeta? Everything is going exactly as planned, so why am I angry? He's dead, isn't he? I pretended to be excited and even high fived him when the cannon went off.


After killing Peeta, we decided to set up a camp. I hunted for food and Cato kept guard. The sun goes down as Cato and I eat some game I shot. The anthem plays, and faces are shown. Girl from District One. Boy from 11. Peeta. I felt a small pain in my heart, but pushed it away. I don't—no, I can't— have feelings for Peeta. Only Cato and I remain.

The music fades away and Cato and I look awkwardly at each other, hands on our weapons. "That happened quickly," I say, hating how shaky my voice sounded. If it wasn't for my arrows, I would be dead already. But I can string an arrow as fast as he can throw a spear, so neither of us makes a move.

"So…" Cato tried to talk. "Can I kill you now?"

My eyes widened. "No!" I look around. "Not until we eat. I, um, heard it's bad to die on an empty stomach."

"That makes sense," he said. Making one pile for each of us, I try to slip some leftover nightlock berries on his side. "Wait," I look up to face him as he talks. "Didn't we just eat?" And with those simple words, I can feel my heart stop and see my foolproof plan crumble to bits.


Okay! That's the first chapter. We think it's pretty good, but we won't know unless you review! It would mean the world to me to get reviews since this is my/our first story! Thanks soooo so much for reading and we'll see you in the next chapter! ^w^