This came from an idea I had had for a while, but never actually written. So here you go! My first Hunger Games fic! Enjoy and review!
Chapter One-
I remember the first time I found the quarry. I was thirteen years old, and naturally curious, against the wishes of my parents, but that is beside the point. The quarry had been emptied out of all its iron products, and just sat there, empty near the edge of town.
It seemed like the ideal place to explore, and I snuck under the rusty and abandoned fence and found myself on a stone ledge, overlooking a massive chasm with a dirty river running through it, far, far below where I stood.
But still, my curiosity had to be satisfied, as I flattened and stretched myself, making it across narrow footholds and wide gaps in the stone. Deep down, a little voice was pleading with me to turn back now, but I ignored it. This was a thousand times better than training, which every single boy and girl my age did, at least in District Two.
I happened to look up, and I saw the fence had to be a good one hundred feet above me. I looked down, and saw at least a thousand feet to the base of the ravine. "Shit," I muttered, then felt surprised, and a bit guilty, because I didn't swear.
Now though, the height seemed nauseating, and I wanted out. Carefully and slowly, I inched back towards a rock wall that I'd climbed down to get to this point. Bits of stone fragment broke off under my feet, and fell beneath me. I didn't even hear the splash as they hit the water, it was too far away.
"What are you doing?" I nearly fell off the rock wall when I saw a face peer over the edge.
"Cato?" I cried in alarm, scared that he was going to tell on me. His blond hair, cut short to his head glistened in the sun, and his strong, wiry body loomed over the side of the cliff. He was the strongest out of all the boys our age, and everyone knew it. "What are you doing here?"
"Seeing what you were doing, what else?" He sneered, and I placed my foot on another little niche in the rock, only to have it give way under my weight and slide down below me.
I panicked, only hanging on by my fingertips now, both legs dangling from the falling rock. "Cato!" I screamed, and he instantly flattened himself to the ground and extended his arm.
"Take my hand!" He ordered, and I began to hyperventilate.
"I'm going to die!" I screamed, terrified. If I let go, I'd surely fall to my death. My fingers began to ache, and I doubted I could hold on for much longer.
"No you're not!" Cato yelled. "Take my hand! You have to let go!"
"I'll fall!"
"No you won't!" He snapped, frustrated. "Trust me!" His blue eyes pleaded with me, and I took a deep breath and let go, reaching up with one hand towards his.
His strong arms wrapped around my wrist and forearm and hoisted me up and out of the chasm to safety. He pulled me up and on top of him, and he fell back his back, and I on his chest, breathing hard.
His eyes were wide and huge before me, gazing up at me in awe. "You saved me," I breathed, astonished, then burst into tears, crumpling on his chest. "I could have died!"
"Nora, stop that," He said, uncomfortable. "Come on, please don't cry. You're alright." He awkwardly put his arms around me in a hug, and I squeezed mine tight around his chest, burying my head in his shoulder, shaking with fear. "Come on, Norah," He said gently, prying me off him. "Climb onto my back, I'll carry you out of here."
"Okay," I obeyed, wrapping my arms tightly around him. He stood up effortlessly, and began to scale the walls of the quarry like it was easy, until we reached the top. We crawled under the fence, and finally were safe on the other side.
"Cato, thank God you were there," I breathed in gratitude. "How did you know?"
"I saw you climb under the fence, and I got worried you'd fall, or something," He said defensively.
"You...got worried about me?" I laughed, drying my eyes with the back of my hand. "I didn't even think you knew who I was."
"Of course I do," Cato frowned. "You thought that?"
"Well, yes," I replied. "I mean, you were always so busy training and practicing...I didn't think you had time for anyone else, least of all me."
"Oh," He said, and we were quiet for a while. "Nora, I did. Notice you, I mean."
"Well thank you," I replied politely, the situation getting awkward. "Cato, thank you, for saving me today. I would be dead if you hadn't been there. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..." I stood up and he did too.
"A kiss," He grinned wickedly and I laughed.
"No," I blushed, looking down. We began to walk away from the quarry. "I won't do that."
"Come on, Nora, just one," He teased, turning his face towards me and playfully puckering his lips. "One won't hurt you."
"I'll take a rain check on that," I said, as we turned onto my neighborhood.
"I'll hold you to it," Cato said, half joking, half serious. We reached my house, and I turned to him.
"This is my house," I said, kicking a stray stone. "I should go."
"Yeah, you probably should," He nodded, looking away. "I, um, I'll see you in school, okay Nora?"
"Okay Cato," I jogged up the steps to my door. "Bye."
I shut the door, my heart pounding. Had this all really happened? Had Cato Aljon really just saved my life and tried to get me to kiss him? Was this a dream? Because if it was, I never wanted to wake up.