Chapter 2

I don't know how long we were like that, connected and understanding, in the dark, cool room. I slowly open my eyes, and see that I am the first one doing so.

He's the first one to speak, though. "Let's hope for the best, and pray that we'll see our families soon."

I nod in agreement. "I hate this," I say out loud. "I hate being forced to do this, and I hate that I have to be stuck with a random stranger."

"Am I really that…unknown to you?"

I stare straight into his eyes and I nod.

He lets go of my hand and leans back, nodding too as if he was upset, or maybe finally understanding something.

"Cato, I didn't mean it like that," I plead. "It's just…we've slept in the same bed, but…I don't even know if you have any siblings, or what your favorite type of weather is and all."

"I know, I understand. I was just thinking the same thing."

"I…I—" I'm trying to say something, but I don't know what. That we should get to know each other better? Never. My shell will never crack, my walls will never crumble; I like the fact that sometimes, I cannot feel anything. No love, no fear, no heartache.

"I have to go," I say instead. He nods, and walks over to my side to help me up. I take his hand, almost crushing it, and I get up. Without a word, I start heading back to our compartment. He follows behind me without a word.

I—no—we, collapse in our room, on the bed. The world was falling on us; we were just so tired of it. As a silent gesture, a silent offer of peace for this silent moment, I take his hand. I give three squeezes, not knowing why. But I feel three squeezes back. I feel him turn, to look at me. I can feel his eyes throw rather affectionate icicles at me, but I just ignore him. I keep my face to the ceiling.

It was starting to become silent. It was silent before, but now, it was silent. I could hear Haymitch four doors down complaining about something. And here we were, holding hands, wide awake, lying down next to each other.

I broke the silence. It's weird, because your voice is all cracky—you're not sure how you might sound, speaking all of a sudden.

"Do you have and brothers or sisters?" I ask, tensing up.

He tenses up too. "I have a brother and two sisters, all younger."

I nod. Now what? Oh, I know: "What's your favorite kind of weather?" I ask, with a slight smile swiped across my face.

I finally look over at him and I see that he is kind of smiling too. "Depends," he replies. "If I want to train, then it can be rainy or sunny. If I'm going somewhere, like on a da—I mean, like a party, then it has to be sunny. And then when it's a lay day, where I'm by myself, or when I'm thinking, I prefer it to be rainy. You?"

"Sunny and warm. Always sunny and warm. Hunting, you know? Don't wanna catch a cold out there." And because when it's sunny, I don't have to remember that rainy day…where Peeta came and gave me the bread when I was emaciated.

He nods. "What's your talent or whatever gonna be?"

The talent. Right… "I don't have one, yet, I guess. It's so stupid, why do we need one? I mean, I'd count hunting illegally as one, but then, it's illegal."

I hear him sort of give a half chuckle, where you just let out a huff of air while smiling. "I think mine is cooking, no joke."

At least it's not baking, I think quietly to myself. Don't feel, Katniss, don't feel…don't think about Peeta or you'll start crying…

I just silently blink and murmur out 'cool'. I turn over to my side with my back facing him. I let out a sigh, and realize how tired I am. Last night was full of twists and a hogged comforter—it was dreamless though, so that was good. I decide that I'm going to take a nap.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep a bit," I announce. I don't expect him to say anything—I just expect him to nod and possibly leave. Instead, he says something that makes my eyebrows arch up.

"Yeah, I'm going to take a rest too, I was so cold last night that I couldn't sleep too well."

"YOU were cold? You had the comforter and the blankets all to yourself, while I was left out there on the mattress, freezing!"

"Aw, well then why didn't you snuggle up with me?" he says, mocking me.

I huff. I only will if it ever gets cold enough.

Cato starts taking off his shirt and pants. I do the same in suit, and then I pull on a comfortable shirt. We tell an avox to close the windows and the curtains, and the door. We snuggle in the king sized bed. We're facing each other but not touching…at least his eyes are closed. I lie in a trance, half awake, half sleepy. My eyes are open a crack when I see that his eyes are too. My eyes spring open, and I turn my back to him. That bastard…that's my trick!

I feel someone's arm snake around me, and I feel myself being pulled into his warm body. I don't mind the extra heat. I feel…safer, like an extra wall has been set up around me, designed to make me forget all of my troubles and worries. I tuck my head under his chin, and I drift into a fitful sleep.

It's silent. I look around me, but it's so dark. I can't see where my hands are, I just feel them. I walk in circles (at least I think they're circles) and I don't know what's happening…where am I? How did I get here? What's in the darkness…

A feeling of fear pushes into my chest, making me feel as if I'm expanding. My hands shake a bit, and my legs feel as if they could give out any second. I know there's something there, waiting and lurking for me in the world of gloom, I know it's menacing, and that it's faster than me, stronger, and that it might be after me. I just don't know what.

That's when I hear it. The sound of saliva dripping, and claws clicking against the floors. And that's when the lights turn on. I'm on a stone cliff, and in front of me, is the biggest, most terrifying mutt the capitol has ever probably created. It's around a third of my height, and it looks crudely made. It's fur is mangled and scarred, and it's made up of pure muscle.

That's when it leaps up, pouncing on me. Or at least it almost did. My legs start to move, flinging me out of the way. I run across the ground, trying to catch my breath and trying to make my legs feel less numb. I see the cliff ahead…if I can make it, then I don't have to endure the pain of being chewed with sharp fangs and dull, painful grinders, slowly ripped apart. I can jump off of it and end my left less painfully.

Twenty yards…fifteen…ten…I'm going to make it…five…and then I collapse. The mutt is on me, and I swear, my heart is about to bust outta my chest from all of the anxiety, horror, adrenaline. My body goes numb, almost as if it were preparing for what would happen next. I look into the mutt's fce.

The eyes. They're blue…like Peeta's? But he'd never do that to me, never. I look deeper, and I see pain, regret, loss. Love. But on the outside, they were frigid and dull, and hard as the arctic ice.

Cato.

AN: Please review! Tell me what you think of it so far. Thanks