Vendetta

- A blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family.

Sometimes people have big black gaps in their memory, related to concussion, fatigue, drinking, injury, whatever, right?

Well, I wish today was one of those.

Today was easily the worst day of my life. Worse than the day a stone quarry collapsed and killed my dad. Worse than watching my sister meet her demise in the Games. Heck, worse than the day my baby brother fell ill and I was seriously scared he'd die too.

Am I just a disaster magnet? Is that it? It seems like everyone I love has passed on unnaturally or has at least came close to it.

But then, I suppose you're wondering why this day was the worst. Proceed with caution, my head is going to turn to shit before your eyes.

I awoke with a start, a mockingjay swooping low over my head and singing a tune obnoxiously loud. I knock it out of the air with one strong blow, causing an already awake Clove to giggle uncontrollably. "Cato!" she reprimanded, getting out of the tree to see if it was okay.

"Too loud," I point out groggily as I eat a little leftovers and water for breakfast. It was still dark. "Ready for the feast?" I ask.

Once she has assured herself the bird is okay, she gets back into the tree and starts to pack her stuff away. I follow, putting my sleeping bag in my rucksack and putting away everything of value. "Are you ready for the feast?" I ask with a smile.

"Yup!" she replies, smiling like a pixie and throwing an acorn at my head.

I laugh and catch it, rolling it between my fingers before discarding it and climbing out of the tree. Landing on the ground with a thump, I holler up to her, "Come on!"

She joins me on the ground a few seconds later and together we set off for the Cornucopia. "Remember the plan?" she asks as we trudge through the forest, the scent of the old leaves underfoot setting a light, sweet air.

"Yeah, fire girl and lover boy run, so do we. Katniss runs, you do, I look for lover boy and vice versa," I rattle off, putting a childish spring in my step. "Devilishly simple."

"Exactly! And we'll own this thing, I bet we'll be at least one tribute closer to home tonight!" she replies with a grin, mimicking my bouncy step.

"I sure hope so! Food is getting scarce," I point out, taking her hand in mine.

She looks down at our interlocked hands and starts grinning manically. "I think we can do it, I think we'll make it home," she says, turning her gaze to the gloomy sky overhead and counting the stars quietly.

"You bet we will," I say and kiss her on the cheek.

"So, I get to kill Everdeen, yeah?" she asks.

I puff out a large sigh. "I'd prefer if-"

"Cato, if I get to her first, I kill her, no matter what vendetta you have against her," Clove insists.

"Fine," I say, "But you have to give the audience a good show."

We arrive at the Cornucopia plane in about a quarter hour and all is quiet. We're silent as we approach and we take a seat at the foot of a tree, gazing across the plane but still camouflaged. Clove gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and then let's go, taking a knife from the inside of her jacket and inspecting the razor sharp blade.

With a cruel look in my eyes, I take my spear from my back and use a stone to sharpen its head, all the while concentrating on the silent woods.

As the sun appears on the horizon, a table appears on the ground from before the Cornucopia, on it sits a large bag for us and Thresh, a medium sized one for foxface, and a tiny one for the sickening star crossed lovers.

In a matter of seconds, the girl with red hair runs out of the Cornucopia and I mentally curse myself for not thinking of that. I let her run, she wasn't a threat. It was the first time I'd seen her since the Battle and she looked very thin compared to then. I was sure she wouldn't last much longer.

Then, Everdeen broke through the trees, running at a sprint towards her bag. No sooner had I leapt to my feet and started running in the opposite direction did I hear the swish of Clove's blade in the air. Setting off at a sprint, I look anywhere and everywhere for lover boy, but he was nowhere to be seen.

So I double back, running deeper into the trees, spear poised and eyes wide. The horrible wait for the cannon shot of Everdeen was almost unbearable, awful pictures of what was happening were constantly flashing through my mind. What if Thresh got her? What if Everdeen used her bloody bow and arrows? What if I was looking in all the wrong places for lover boy?

I freeze as a horrid scream rips through the trees, one that makes my blood curdle. It was her. I'd know her voice anywhere.

No sooner had I heard her than I was bounding back towards the Cornucopia, my lungs burning and my legs failing. Her horrible scream is followed by the yells of Thresh and I know in an instant that I was an asshole to let her go out there on her own. "Clove," I whimper.

"Cato!" she screams, "CATO!"

"CLOVE!" I holler, tears choking my throat.

Then, all is horribly silent. Branches whip my face and undergrowth strangles my legs as I run. Everything seems determined to stop me, determined to stop me from getting to her.

But soon, the trees stop and I'm on the plane. Everdeen escapes into the trees and Thresh disappears over the mound that I know conceals the wheat field. I want it to be Peeta or Foxface, but in my heart, I know it's her. "CLOVE!" I scream, but I know it's useless.

As I fall down next to her, I see her dented head, her eyes flickering and half closed. "Clove, baby, look at me," I whimper, pulling her into my arms. "Clove! Stay with me! Please!"

"Cato," she says, weaker than a whisper. "I love you."

And then her cannon goes off.

I let back my head and howl in pure agony. She was dead. She was dead and it was all my fault. If I'd been with her. "I'm such a fucking idiot," I repeat, over and over again.

I hear a swoosh in the air as the hovercraft descends. With one last glance at her body, I cut her free of her backpack and kiss her on the forehead, allowing my lips to linger there for a moment.

Then, I'm on my feet and running for the wheat field. "I'm going to kill you!" I yell. "I'm going to kill you, Thresh, and I'm going to enjoy EVERY SECOND!"

A/N: So, this chapter is rather short compared to others. I want you to know, this is the last chapter! I've really enjoyed writing this but I can't help but feel like it's dragging and there's a lot of fics I want to write! Look out for Batman, Inception and a lot more!